Portland College is helping to feed those in need

Thanks to a generous donation of £2,000 from Severn Trent Water, Portland has been able to purchase extra food stock to help in the fight against food poverty locally.

Portland began supporting the Academy Transformation Trust FE College with its ‘Let’s All Eat’ initiative which provides food parcels for local people who are finding it difficult to feed themselves and their families.

The initiative, which operates out of Sutton Community Academy, was already busy but is now under increasing demand due to the impact of covid-19.

By purchasing surplus food and turning it into meals, people were able to benefit from low cost or free food at their cafe.

However, during covid-19 times, the service has had to adapt to support more people in need and now delivers free food parcels within the Sutton in Ashfield area.

Each week, Portland College’s catering department prepares and donates 120 sandwiches to be included in food parcels which are given to homeless people, elderly and vulnerable citizens and families

Linda Smith, employability tutor at Sutton Academy, is one of the volunteers who delivers the food parcels.

She said: “We don’t get sandwiches from anywhere else and we really appreciate the regular donations from Portland College.

“They help massively in bulking out our boxes and adding variety.

“It is thanks to the generous support from such organisations that we can carry on providing this lifeline to so many.”

The food parcels are delivered by volunteers like Linda directly to individuals and families, as well as being distributed to both the Sutton and Kirkby food banks.

David Powney, catering manager at Portland, added, “We are proud to be able to support our local residents by sharing our resources.

“In times like these it is crucial that we come together as a community and support each other.”

To find out how you can contribute to the Let’s All Eat Initiative, call 07867 451424 or email [email protected].