Crayford and Abbs are delighted to have supplied a Nissan Townstar EV to Mid-Norfolk Foodbank.
Mid-Norfolk Foodbank has been in operation for 12 years, under the guidance of Dave Pearson. Alongside some friends at his local church, Mr Pearson realised there was a growing need for a foodbank in the Dereham area.
The foodbank consists of around 70 fantastic volunteers who all generously give their time to collect, sort, pack and distribute food parcels to those in need.
Families requiring assistance
The operation has grown to cover Dereham, Fakenham and Swaffham. At its inception, Mr Pearson estimates it was catering for around 500 households but over the years, this has grown to in excess of 5,000.
This year in particular there has been a big rise in the number of families with young children requiring assistance.
For years, the volunteers have used their own vehicles to carry out trips to schools and supermarkets who have kindly donated food.
This results in fuel costs; wear and tear; and the requirement of business insurance. The donated food is brought back to a central warehouse in Dereham where it is date-checked, sorted and packaged, before being distributed.
The addition of the electric Nissan Townstar will allow the foodbank to collect more food in a single run, reducing the number of trips required, saving time and fuel costs.
Funded by The National Lottery (Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund), the choice of an electric powertrain was a no-brainer for the foodbank, with the addition of a Zappi charger installed at its warehouse.
Suzanne, who runs the team of volunteers, said that the van will be a game-changer and allow the team to help many more people in need at this tough time of year.
Rupert Fox, Sales Director at Crayford and Abbs, said: ”As a dealership, we could not be happier to support this cause. It is the second foodbank we have been able to help in recent years. The work that is done by the volunteers, with the passion it is done with, is simply inspiring.”