Praise for foodbank volunteers

VOLUNTEERS who have set up a foodbank in Warrington to help people in financial difficulty have won praise from the borough council.
A motion put to the council by Latchford West member Cllr Maureen McLaughlin received the full backing of members.
Cllr McLaughlin said the setting up of a foodbank in the town was hardly a cause for celebration because it demonstrated a problem that many residents faced every day.
She said: “People turn to foodbanks at times of desperation, when their financial plight means that they have to choose between heating their homes and clothing their children.
“Often they try to manage the situation privately, but often this leaves them prey to unscrupulous lenders and illegal loan sharks.”
The work of the volunteers who had set up the Warrington Foodbank deserved recognition.
“We need to welcome their efforts when they have been moved to make a difference for people in hardship. Warrington has a long and proud tradition of volunteering, so it is right that we recognise and affirm their work.”
Cllr McLaughlin said the worse of the government’s cuts were yet to come.
The welfare reform agenda would only add to the pressure on vulnerable residents, as support for low-earning working families was attacked and benefits cut.
“That is why we should support the efforts of the Warrington Foodbank, even if we do not want it to become a permanent feature of our landscape.”
The council is offering practical support to the foodbank, providing much needed storage space in premises currently vacant.