Throughout June and July Southern Water was on a mission to collect a ‘ton of tins’ to support local food banks across its region to get re-stocked ready for the summer school holiday period.
Southern Water ran the campaign with the help of V2 Radio to help spread the word, and the challenge was open to local businesses, community groups, Southern Water customers and V2 radio listeners.
Southern Water employees got involved too and began collecting at their local offices, keen to get behind the initiative to re-stock local foodbanks before the school holidays begin and they saw an increase in demand.
Alongside the campaign Southern Water also promoted its support tariffs and schemes that help customers experiencing difficulties managing their bills.
On 1 July as the final count took place at V2 studios in Chichester, the team was delighted to reveal that just over 4.8 tons had been collected. Almost Five times the original goal.
Alex Willumsen, Southern Water’s Community Partnerships & Programme Manager, says: From listening to our customers, young person’s panel and employees during our community charity grants programme last year, we know addressing food poverty and inequalities in our community had become even more important than ever.
“Since lockdown food banks have become even more crucial, and our staff and customers always want us to recognise this when an opportunity arises to support people in our region – so the ‘tons of tins’ partnership with V2 radio idea was born. A challenge to collect a ton of weight in food tins to donate to local food banks.
“From Olympic games at local supermarkets, to filling up trollies with tins at offices, we’d like to thank our amazing communities for donating such incredible amounts, as well our colleagues and partners. We’re also excited to announce that our Board pledged to match what was raised – so that’s almost 10 tonnes of tins for food banks and has enabled us to support even more foodbanks and reach wider across our region”.
Food banks to receive donations are:
Sussex:
Bognor Regis Foodbank
Littlehampton Foodbank
Worthing Foodbank
Haywards Heath Foodbank
Horsham Foodbank
Crawley Foodbank
Whitehawk, Brighton Foodbank
Hampshire & Isle of Wight:
Foodbank PO9
Otterbourne Foodbank
Cowes foodbank
Kent:
Medway Foodbank