From Monday June 7th we will be basing our operations at Wickham Community Centre, Mill Lane, Wickham, PO17 5AL.
From that date, we are asking for food donations to be delivered, where possible, on Mondays between 10 a.m and 12 noon. This is to allow us to prepare the food parcels more easily so that they are ready for delivery on Tuesday morning. We will of course still accept donations on a Tuesday, but our hope is that we can receive the bulk of them on a Monday.
From Tuesday June 8th until Tuesday June 29th there will be someone at the Bishops Waltham Youth Hall between 10 and 11 a.m to receive any last-minute donations but after that all operations will be carried out from Wickham.
There will continue to be a food donation point at Sainsbury’s and we are hoping to set one up at the Jubilee Hall. In Wickham there is a donation point at the Co-op and at the Wickham Centre itself.
Location
The Community Centre is on Mill Lane in Wickham.
Background to the move
The future of Bishops Waltham Youth Hall has been uncertain for a number of years. Any successful planning application would lead to its demolition which would make the Food Bank homeless. To secure our own long-term future, we have sought alternative premises in Bishops Waltham but without success.
The future
Over the last few months, we have been in discussion with Wickham Community Centre who have offered us a large meeting room and, more importantly, three large storage cupboards leading off from it. Gone will be the days of having to rush between a cupboard in the Youth Hall, a small office in the NHS hut and a container. On cold and wet days this has been far from ideal.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to having the opportunity to show you our new home once Covid restrictions are lifted.
Kind regards
Mike Salter
Chairman