Unilever’s massive 4 tonne donation answers Flintshire Food Bank’s call

Unilever Port Sunlight has made a substantial donation to Flintshire Food Bank, providing essential relief amid rising demand.

The donation arrived after the food bank announced it had run out of some toiletries and hygiene products.

In addition to the standard food parcel, food banks aim to provide other necessary non-food items to adults and children in crisis.

The Unilever delivery, comprised of vital products such as shampoo, conditioner, shower gels, and laundry tablets, totalled a significant 3942.5 kilograms in weight.

The food bank, which distributed 11,573 emergency food parcels last year with 4,998 given to children, expressed its gratitude for the contribution.

“We have been entirely out of shampoo and conditioner for weeks, and we rarely have any laundry products. We are so grateful that we can start distributing these basic necessities to those most in need,” read a statement from Flintshire Food Bank.

The donation arrives at a critical time as the food bank experienced a 47% increase in emergency food parcel distribution compared to the previous year.

December proved to be the busiest month, with staff and volunteers distributing 2008 emergency food parcels.

Sue Leake, Project Manager at Flintshire Food Bank, stated, “The past 12 months have been the busiest on record for our food bank, with a high volume of clients requiring emergency assistance.”

“Our dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that no one in Flintshire goes hungry.”

Despite the growing demand, donations have struggled to keep up.

As a result, the food bank has had to purchase food on a regular basis, underlining the need for increased support from the local community.

Emma Revie, Chief Executive at the Trussell Trust, described the nationwide rise in emergency food parcels – up 37% from the previous year, as “extremely concerning”.

She identified low income levels and a strained social security system as the main factors behind the growing reliance on food banks, over and above the recent cost of living crisis or the Covid-19 pandemic.

Across Wales, the surge in parcel distribution was the greatest among the UK’s four home nations, up 41% from the previous year.