WITH so many of us having overindulged ourselves throughout the winter, it’s sobering to realise that an increasing number of people in the UK cannot afford to feed themselves or their families.
Because of this, four military spouses – Shirley Ball, Sally Jones, Kelly Barr and Mia Stainforth – have taken action.
The ladies, who all voluntarily run the thrift shop on Chicksands Barracks, decided to donate over £500 worth of groceries to the Bedfordshire Food Aid Network (BFAN) with the help of their local Asda store.
The BFAN rely on donations of toiletries and foodstuff to supply those most in need with parcels of provisions.
The money, raised from a ten per cent profit margin on items sold in the thrift shop, was given to Caroline Indge of the BFAN to spend in store, she said: “This is the first time we have been given such a large sum of money to spend as we see fit, which enables us to fill many gaps in our current supply of stock.
“It is wonderful to have been given this opportunity and we are very grateful for the generous donation.”
The four volunteers who made this possible were in awe of the achievement: “It is amazing to stand before this huge quantity of items knowing that they have been purchased with money raised by the military community, through use of our little thrift shop!
“We are very proud of our customers and grateful for their support. We are all delighted that this donation will help to support families throughout our local community this year.”