Food in Crisis Christmas Appeal 2020

The year 2020 will go down in history as one of the most challenging years in all of our lifetimes.

With the COVID-19 pandemic having already led to so many of this year’s planned events and celebrations being shelved, Christmas this year is going to be anything but normal for many. Tighter local restrictions and wider national guidelines and directives, which we are warned  could be with us for some time, with a potential ongoing ban on people from meeting other  households indoors may mean family get-togethers could be off the cards this festive period for many.

Whilst this is a difficult prospect to bear, Christmas is going to be a particularly hard time for many people in our community this year. The pandemic has tipped households who were just about managing to make ends meet into facing the prospect of a really bleak time, as incomes reduce further and basic costs rise. The impact of rising unemployment – the unemployment rate is at its highest level for 3 years and redundancies at their highest level since 2009 as the pandemic continues to hit jobs – has been, and will continue to be, devastating for many individuals and families. Treats and festive food are a luxury some just cannot afford this year, as more and more families face difficulties providing the basics needed for survival.

Rotherham’s Food for People in Crisis (FiC) Partnership has launched its annual Christmas Appeal for 2020. The people and businesses of Rotherham have been particularly generous during the pandemic in helping us provide basic food and non-food items for those in need, so this year we are bringing some cheer for those in particular need by focusing on providing supplementary food that people might want of a festive nature. Mindful of the need to reduce social contact at this time, the partnership are primarily asking for monetary donations to the appeal this year. All the money we receive will go to providing some extra cheer for families in need, no money will be taken in administrative fees by the partnership or Voluntary Action Rotherham, who will once again be managing the appeal on behalf of the partnership.

Monetary donations can be made by cheque or bank transfer, as follows:

• Cheques should be made payable to: ‘People in Need (VAR)’ and sent to Voluntary Action Rotherham, The Spectrum, Coke Hill, Rotherham, S60 2HX.
• To make a bank transfer, please ask your bank to send your donation to ‘People in Need (VAR)’, account number: 20298847, sort code: 60-83-01.

If anyone is interested in setting up a Standing Order to support the work of the partnership on an ongoing basis, they should contact the team at VAR: [email protected] and the team will be pleased to send out the necessary paperwork.

Some of the partnership’s Community Food Members will be working with local supermarkets in their area to support the appeal through donations of food and toiletries within stores, so if anyone is out getting their essential shopping there will be a facility to make donations in certain stores so individuals should look out for those if that is how they would prefer to make a donation.

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce are also supporting the appeal this year by accepting donations from local businesses. Businesses can also donate via the People in Need account, details as above.

Teresa Brocklehurst, Director of Services (Infrastructure) at Voluntary Action Rotherham and Chair of the FiC Partnership said: “Christmas is a time for giving and The Food in Crisis Christmas Appeal is an opportunity for the kind and generous people of Rotherham to come together and make a real difference to the lives of those who, particularly during this dreadful pandemic, find themselves in crisis in our community. Every donation, no matter how small is welcome. Every penny donated will go to help those in particular need this festive period to  bring some cheer through the provision of special parcels to top up basic supplies with those  teams that will make a big difference during this difficult time”.