Drake Circus launches appeal to support local community this Christmas

Drake Circus has joined forces with Plymouth Foodbank to help provide vital food items to those most in need in the local community throughout the festive period.

The shopping centre has teamed up with the foodbank to launch a community collection point, allowing visitors to donate a range of key items that are most needed by families this Christmas while they shop.

The items that are most in demand range from everyday essentials including pasta sauces, cereals, and toiletries to festive favourites such as tinned ham, selection boxes, mince pies and jellies.

Visitors can drop off much-needed items at Drake Circus’ collection point located at its customer service desk on the lower mall between 11am – 5pm every day from Monday 12th December through to Christmas Eve.

Andrew Denham, project coordinator at Plymouth Foodbank: “In 2021, we provided food and essentials to nearly 8,500 people in the local community, which is roughly 76,000 meals, and since January this year, we’ve seen an unprecedented 76 percent increase in demand for our services.

“With the cost-of-living crisis hitting hard, we’re expecting to see many more individuals and families in the local area needing our services, and without the support of the public and businesses like Drake Circus, we’d really struggle to help all those in need. We know budgets are tighter for everyone at the moment, but all donations, no matter how small, are massively appreciated.”

Greg Lumley, centre director at Drake Circus, said: “Local foodbanks, such as Plymouth Foodbank, provide a vital service to communities all year round, but each year they feel the most pressure and demand for their services in the lead up to Christmas.

“After what’s been an especially difficult couple of years for many people, it’s never been so important for local communities to come together to help support those most in need. That’s why we’re launching our collection point to make it easier for all of those who can afford it to donate what they can this Christmas.”

The full list of key items most needed by families in the local area are as follows:

Cereals, tinned meat/fish, tinned fruit, tinned custard/rice pudding, tinned peas/carrots/sweetcorn, tinned soup, tinned tomatoes, UHT milk, long life juice cartons, tea/coffee, biscuits, pasta sauces, jam/peanut butter/chocolate spread, toiletries (deodorant/shampoo/shower gel/shaving items).

Tinned ham/salmon, pickles/stuffing/gravy, selection boxes, chocolates/chocolate coins, tins of sweets/mints, jellies/trifle mixes, Christmas cake/Christmas pudding, mince pies, nuts/crisps, crackers for cheese/boxes of biscuits.

To find out more information about Plymouth Foodbank, please visit: https://plymouth.foodbank.org.uk/.