Food bank finds key to growth through Greggs Foundation Community Hub Programme

Key has been supporting the South Tyneside youth community for over 30 years.  Initially started to help people at risk of homelessness, the charity offers help to young people looking to access housing services, support and accommodation in the local area. 

Key manage housing options to support independent living, mental health support and a prevention and intervention scheme designed to mediate family issues where homelessness is a potential outcome.  It’s a charity that through the balanced mix of services, helps young people from South Tyneside reach their potential. 

One of the additional facilities managed by Key is the local community food bank. The food bank has been a central pillar of support to those looking for extra help in moments of crisis or financial hardship, particularly during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. The Key to Life foodbank runs almost entirely on donations and as the longest-running foodbank in one of the UK’s most social deprived areas, is an essential service to thousands of people. 

In 2020, in the midst of the first Covid lockdown, pressures on the food bank became particularly severe. As families were hit by changes in their income, the food bank moved from servicing 4,500 people a year to 17,000 almost overnight.  This rapid increase placed a huge strain on services, leading to difficulties maintaining food stocks, arranging collections and meeting demand.   

It was at this stage that Key became aware of the community hub programme from the Greggs Foundation. There are currently 28 Greggs Outlets across the UK, offering affordable food in areas of social deprivation. Community hubs are organisations which are directly funded through one of the Greggs Outlet shops via an annual grant.  A portion of profits from each Greggs Outlet is given to a local organisation in close proximity to the shop.  Helping to ensure that profits generated by Greggs Outlets are retained within the local community. 

Key identified that in order to ensure the longer-term viability of the Key to Life Foodbank, they would need a dedicated member of staff to act as a central resource to coordinate and run operations. 

Jo Benham-Brown, Business Development and Communities Manager at Key explains:

“Without a dedicated person coordinating the Key to Life Foodbank, we could see that maintaining our service levels in the future would become very difficult. Having a member of staff who took on the responsibility of running the food bank operations alongside our network of 40+ volunteers was essential. It was clear that funding the salary for this resource would have to come from outside sources and thankfully, the Greggs Foundation stepped in with support from their community hub programme.”

Key applied for grant funding from the Greggs Foundation to recruit a permanent manager at the Key to Life Foodbank.  This would be the first time the food bank employed a member of staff to manage operations and were keen to recruit someone with retail management experience.  The funding from the Greggs Foundation made this possible.

Jo continues: “When we applied to the community hub programme, we knew that we were in the right vicinity of the Greggs Outlet in South Shields to be eligible.  We also knew that our programme was an essential part of helping people in the local area have access to food when experiencing difficulties.  When our application was successful and funds secured, we were able to actively start recruiting for a manager to lead operations at our Key to Life Foodbank.”

The Greggs Foundation Community Hub programme offers a one year grant with further opportunities to extend.  With funds from the Foundation, Key were able to begin the search for a member of staff with specific retail management experience to help formalize the processes and operations of the foodbank. 

Jo continues: “We were delighted to welcome Marie Burnett to the position of Key To Life Foodbank Team Leader. She brought with her 20 years of experience in the retail sector and as a result, has not only transformed the way in which our food bank operates but also the opportunities available to both Key and our volunteers. 

“Through effective stock management Marie was able to streamline our operations.  This immediately increased capacity by scheduling collection and delivery times to ensure food came into the food bank as quickly as it was going out.  Marie also developed relationships with important food retailers throughout South Tyneside meaning we now receive donations from every major supermarket retailer in the local area. 

“The robust systems Marie implemented also meant that with the right infrastructure in place, we could offer additional help. This included a critically important fuel bank through the fuel foundation. As an added value service, the addition of the Fuel Bank means that between 40-100 people a week are now able to have crucial help with their fuel bills.  It goes without saying that without Marie in place, this would not have been possible.

“Having a dedicated team leader to manage operations at the food bank doesn’t just mean the food bank operates better for those who depend on it, it also aided our volunteers.  We have 40 volunteers at the food bank and they vary in background from those out of work to long-term unemployed and retirees. Given Marie’s considerable retail experience, she was able to being a training programme that helped upskill our volunteer workforce with nationally accredited training. That in itself led to 12 volunteers going on to obtain permanent employment with their new skills.”

The community hub programme is designed so Greggs Outlets can channel a portion of their profits back into their local community. In the case of Key, the grant funding to support the recruitment and salary of a new team leader has transformed the operations of the food bank to the benefit of the wider community. As demand for the service continues to increase, Marie and her team of volunteers are well-placed to scale up and down to meet the needs of the local community.

Jo comments: “We really can’t thank the Greggs Foundation enough for the grants we have received through the community hub programme.  The funding has made a huge difference to how we meet the needs of the individuals, families and volunteers of South Tyneside who engage with the Key to Life Foodbank.”