Community Windpower continue their support for local Foodbanks with Christmas Hampers - 16th Dec

Community Windpower and their BeGreen Energy Advice Centres have maintained their support for local foodbanks over the Christmas period through the provision of funding to purchase seasonal foodstuffs for Christmas Hampers. Thus ensuring those in a crisis or who are greatly disadvantaged at this time of year, can still enjoy a Christmas with the traditional trimmings.

As patrons of the North Ayrshire Foodbank, the Christmas Hamper project was trialled last year and following its success, Community Windpower decided to replicate the scheme this Christmas with greater funding donated to ensure even more people could be helped.

Craig Crosthwaite, the North Ayrshire Foodbank Coordinator, has worked tirelessly during November and December putting plans in to action with food and drink items for 140 hampers (equivalent to 280 large bags of food) being sourced ready for distribution on 21^st December. The Hampers also include a voucher for fresh meat parcels supplied by two local butchers (Lothians of Ardrossan and Stalkers of Dalry) and fresh fruit & vegetable parcels provided by Anne McGonigle of Dalry. Therefore the scheme also benefits locally owned independent businesses as it increases their sales.

The Hamper packing took place on Wednesday 16^th December 2015 with Community Windpower and BeGreen Dalry staff on hand to help with the packing, along with Provost Sturgeon, Councillors John Easdale, Anthea Dickson and Marie Burns and other volunteers.

Community Windpower donated £10,000 to the North Ayrshire Foodbank, to support the assembly of these Christmas hampers which will accompany each emergency 3-day food parcel that the Foodbank distributes over the Christmas and New Year period.

Over on the East Coast of Scotland, Community Windpower and BeGreen Dunbar have also supported the Dunbar Basics Bank with the provision of Christmas hampers for the second year running. On this occasion, funding was used to purchase special Christmas items for the family hampers including Christmas cakes, batteries, crackers and a selection box. Reusable storage boxes were also purchased to carry the contents of the hampers for the families to keep and reuse afterwards. Again, the Christmas hampers include a voucher for a fresh meat parcel from local Dunbar butcher Peter Whitecross and a voucher for the Crunchy Carrot greengrocer in Dunbar, thus supporting these local businesses.

Community Windpower are also liaising with the East Lothian Foodbank to see how funding can be used by them to support their work and food stores for emergency 3-day food boxes for 2016.

Overall, Community Windpower remains committed to our local host communities and we thank everyone for their assistance with spreading this Festive Cheer to those who are less fortunate and in a crisis.

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