Food bank forced to close with 'huge regret'

A food bank in Sandwell has announced the "sad news" it will close at the end of May after years supporting people facing hardship.

Smethwick Foodbank said its final session would take place on 29 May after 14 years of serving the community.

Sarah Edwards, who works at there, said the closure was met with grief due to it becoming a pillar in the area.

"It's not just giving food, we give support, advice, we help people through the toughest parts of their lives and to not be there for our clients is sad," she said.

The closure is due to a £30,000 annual deficit.

"A lot of our service users are quite upset, we've gone through quite a few boxes of tissues since we've announced the news, and I think it's just because they are used to us as a team," Edwards explained.

"I think they recognise that it's a special ability that we've provided over the last few years, and the best way to describe it is grief, because it's a massive part of the community."

The food bank has provided emergency food parcels and signposting services for people in crisis, helping residents access further support and advice.

Its closure comes amid continued pressure on food banks across the region as charities face rising costs and increasing demand for help.

Nick Ross, who is chair of the trustees, said the decision to hire staff during Covid was essential at the time to meet the urgent needs of the community.

"The reserves that we had are disappearing, and we couldn't go any further than this year and still be able to fulfil our responsibilities," he said.

"During Covid, because other food banks were closed, and we had plenty of money, grants were widely available and the council was very generous during Covid."

He added that during that time the model allowed the charity to cope.

"It puts us in a problem post-Covid as grants and council funding go down, and we still have the staff employed who need to be paid," he explained.

"I don't regret that decision, because actually, during Covid, when we were one of the very few food banks open."

He thanked donors and volunteers for their support and said they would continue helping clients for as long as possible before the final session at the end of the month.

"We're doing this with huge regret," Ross said.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.