Society donates to local Northamptonshire foodbanks

Five foodbanks in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire have received a total of £100,000 from the Market Harborough Building Society (MHBS) as part of its Thrive Agenda.

In Northamptonshire, Corby Foodbank, Kettering Foodbank and Kettering Community Unit (KCU) have each received a portion of the money to help kickstart their New Year campaigns. The funds will be spent on various things vital to keep the foodbanks running, from bolstering food supplies, expanding the range of products available, storage, fuel bills, rent, insurance and general running costs.

The other two recipients are Leicester South Foodbank in Wigston and Jubilee Foodbank in Market Harborough which are also located within the Society’s operational area. The funds have been divided proportionately based on the size of the population areas they serve.

The Thrive Agenda is MHBS’ new initiative to ensure giving back is at the core of everything it does. It represents an evolution in its purpose and involves a wide range of community activities to be implemented over 2023.

Chief Executive Iain Kirkpatrick said, “Rooted in the desire to give back at every opportunity, we’ve realigned our goals to reflect what really matters to our members now, in 2023.

“We’ve outlined our roadmap to a better society, called the Thrive Agenda. It’s our intention to support our members, our colleagues and our communities to flourish, to live the full and positive lives they deserve.

“The first step in this project is to support our local foodbanks in their sadly ever growing task of supporting families in need with basic provisions as they battle the cost of living crisis and crippling energy prices.”

Corby Foodbank Manager, Martin Langford said, “The money is an absolute game changer, allowing us to not only continue but also to expand the level of food crisis support throughout Corby and the surrounding villages.”

Trustee for Kettering Foodbank, Jane Stone said, “This donation will help so many families and individuals in so many ways.”

Operations Director at KCU, Sylvia McLevy said, “Sadly the financial stresses of the day are beginning to take a toll on the community. Donations in supermarkets continue to reduce as everyone feels the pressure. Without this financial support we would have made compromises on the amounts we are able to give out in each parcel to ensure that everyone still receives food support.”

Since 1870, MHBS has been owned by its members and remained a trusted provider of mortgages and savings for over 150 years. It has six branches in Market Harborough, Kibworth, Desborough, Rothwell, Corby and Kettering.