Hull Foodbank is looking forward to a triple boost after securing the support of a major city centre hotel.

The partnership with the Mercure Royal Hotel on Ferensway will help the charity top-up its stocks of food to distribute to crisis-hit families and individuals in the Hull area.

In addition Sarah Sidwell, Project Manager at Hull Foodbank, plans to work with chefs from the hotel to devise and produce affordable and healthy meals for her clients. And Sarah is hopeful the recruitment of the Mercure Royal will encourage other businesses in the area to support the organisation.

The Hull Foodbank concept was launched just over two years ago. Sarah came on board in August 2011 and the service opened for business that November under the wing of The Trussell Trust, which supports more than 350 foodbanks nationwide as part of its work to empower local communities to combat poverty and exclusion.

Based at Jubilee Central in King Edward Street, Hull, the foodbank is operated by a partnership of churches around the city. Sarah is supported by a part-time project assistant, a volunteer administrator and more than 30 other volunteers who liaise with clients, collecting and distributing food.

Business is brisk – from feeding three or four people two days a week when the foodbank started the team are now feeding about 30 people a day, three days a week.

“Demand is going up for a variety of reasons,” said Sarah.

“Wages are being frozen, benefit sanctions are having an effect, debt is on the increase and there is greater awareness of what we do.

“We are here to help anyone who has a short-term property crisis, not just people who are homeless or single parents.”
Luc Perquin, General Manager of the Mercure Royal, said the hotel staff will support the charity by adding additional items requested by Hull Foodbank to their weekly shop.

The hotel will also donate items from its own food purchases, and will make its team of chefs available to create recipes and menus from foodbank stock.

Luc said: “We see ourselves as a vital part of the city and that makes it important that we do something to help people who are struggling in difficult times.

“We have about 100 staff and they are keen to support this. We have not finalised what we are going to donate because we are talking to Sarah about what she needs and about what our chefs can do to help, but we are making an ongoing commitment.”

Sarah added: “The short-term support from the Mercure Royal Hotel with food donations is fantastic but even better than that is the longer-term commitment.

“The guidance of the chefs will be invaluable and will help us give people advice on how to get the most from their food. Also the fact that such a prominent organisation has joined our ranks of business supporters will hopefully encourage other companies to help.”

HullBID City Centre Manager Kathryn Shillito said: “This is a great example of city centre businesses and organisations coming together to help individuals in these tough economic times.

“The Mercure Royal Hotel’s unique initiative will contribute to a vital resource for local people who are struggling to make ends meet.”

Pictured: Luc Perquin, General Manager of the Mercure Royal