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5th November 2024 - Liz Bartham
Clydesdale Foodbank
Biggar Probus Club met on 5 November
2024 to hear Liz Bartham, founder of the Clydesdale Food Bank, tell us about the
work of the foodbank and its history.
She started by going back to 2013 when a group of concerned members of St John’s
Church in Carluke set up a Food Bank to help families in need. They set it up as
a charity in 2014, working from Portacabins in Carluke, and demand for their
services began to grow.
They decided to operate only on referrals, which can come from health
professionals, social workers, church leaders, Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Womens’
Aid and local councillors. They also intended to be a crisis only service except
for children under 16 and those with mental health issues.
They provide basic food and household items from depots in Carluke and Biggar to
the whole of Clydesdale. They rely on grants and public donations, and support
from several major retailers, and are entirely run by volunteers.
The number of families or individuals helped rose steadily until 2020, when
there was a sudden increase during Lockdown, which also created problems with
volunteers. Demand is now growing again, and they are assisting over 10 times as
many people as when they started.
The vote of thanks was given by the President, Neil Ingram.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 19 November in Biggar Municipal Hall at 10.00,
when we will hear former President Alastair Pate speak about the Albion
Foundation. All are welcome to attend.