Cortonwood Community Comeback began in 1986, put together by the local community who recognised the need to tackle the unemployment, disadvantage and exclusion issues after the miner’s strike. Over the years, many of the groups have been run by volunteers who donate their time to the community centre.

When they receive their surplus food from FareShare Yorkshire, they distribute it to beneficiaries in food parcels. From meat and pasta, to cereals and soft drinks, Cortonwood Community Comeback receive a mixture of different food and drink items.

“Over the pandemic, we saw a diverse range of people referred to us for many different reasons.” said Denise, from Cortonwood CC. “Some of them only require short term help whilst their benefits are processed, as they return to work after being furloughed or other Covid-19 related reasons. We have had many clients who have lost their jobs during the pandemic and have found it difficult to manage on benefits. We’ve been able to offer these clients additional support through the food bank and help them find pathways into employment too.

“One lady had been using the food bank on a weekly basis. Our Employment & Benefits Advisor was able to support her in updating a CV, interview skills and job searching. The individual then went on to secure full time employment and is no longer reliant on the food bank. Many of the clients that have had additional support have been identified through the food bank service.

“We wouldn’t be able to support the amount of people we do if we weren’t a community food member.”