Buckfastleigh Foodbank has received £4,000 From Devon Freemasons.

On a visit to St Luke’s Methodist Church in Buckfastleigh, Peter Keaty, assistant Head of the Devonshire Freemasons accompanied by Reuben Ayres and Walker Lapthorne met the foodbank manager Felicity Ferry to present her with a certificate denoting the £4,000 grant made to them by the Devonshire Masonic Benevolent Fund together with the Masonic Charitable Fund (MCF).

Discussing the work undertaken by the foodbank, Felicity said they serve up to 80 families every week, and that most of their donations of food and cash came from the public and supermarket collections.

To keep the centre running smoothly takes around 20 volunteers split into three teams, those who collect, those who sort it all out and those who distribute it to the families in need.

What became very evident to Peter was the total dedication of Felicity and her team.

Freemasons from Devon have made a series of grants to local foodbanks, bringing their contributions over the last 12 months to more than £28,500.

In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty – including 4.5 million children.

During the pandemic, foodbanks supported by the Trussell Trust network saw an unprecedented increase in need.

Between last April and September, foodbanks in their network provided 1,239,399 of emergency food parcels to people in crisis – of these, 470,854 went to children.

Overall, this represents a 47 per cent increase in need during the crisis compared to a 23 per cent increase seen this time last year. The last published figures (2018-19) suggest over 24,000 food parcels were handed out just in Devon.

Previous Donations from the National Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) Covid-19 Fund: Ivybridge Foodbank

£6,000 – Plympton Team Ministry Community Foodbank

£1,500 – Devonshire’s local ‘WAKE’ Fund additionally awarded: Plymouth Foodbank.