March 2025

In this month's issue, we share news about an exciting job opportunity for a Foodbank Development Coordinator, look at the value of providing accessible advice, celebrate the imminent relaunch of our CRA foodbank in the Arboretum and appeal for a new Trustee Treasurer...

Spring is in the air...

Dear Dominique,

Spring has definitely arrived! The weather is warmer and sunnier, the days longer and spring flowers are starting to appear.

It can sometimes feel like a real relief to get to the end of a long, dark winter into a time of warmth and light. And this positive change is what we want our guests to experience in their lives too. For many of those we serve, debt, anxiety over having enough money to pay bills or just the daily challenge of making ends meet, casts a dark shadow.

We see the very real difference that getting support can make, which is why we are committed to bringing the warmth and light of Hope to those in our communities.

Thank you for continuing to support us.

"In the springtime,

the heart regrows hope"

Angie Weiland-Crosby

We're recruiting for a new staff role!

See the job advert below for more information (including how to apply via Indeed) as well as viewing the job description here.

Please do share this far and wide, but particularly with anyone you feel has the skills and experience we are looking for.

The impact of advice provision

A year ago we reported our new partnership with Bestwood Advice Centre, further expanding the professional advice for our foodbank guests already provided by Citizens Advice Nottingham & District, Citizens Advice Central Notts, The Ark Advice Centre and Step Forward Money Advice.

One year on, we appreciate more than ever the impact that this provision has on guests attending our foodbanks. The reasons people need emergency foodbank support are varied and often complex. Through our partnership with Trussell, we work with hundreds of registered agencies who refer guests to us for foodbank support. However we know for most, the provision of emergency food, whilst vital, is only a short term fix. Providing on-site, professional advice makes a huge difference in addressing the underlying causes of crisis and helps improve peoples' situations, so they won't need to use a foodbank in the future.

Source: Reporting data from advice providers in our foodbanks, last complete financial year July 2023 - June 2024

Guests receive professional advice on a wide range of areas, including debt, benefit advice, housing and maximising their income. Being able to access this advice within our foodbanks (as opposed to having to attend a different location), removes a significant barrier to people receiving support. It also means we can work directly with our advice partners to offer a more holistic approach to not just providing emergency food but more importantly helping people from crisis to hope.

Source: Reporting data from foodbank advice providers financial year: July 2023 - June 2024/Guest feedback.

We have been truly blessed to receive funding from Trussell's Financial Inclusion project to enable this to happen. However, continuing to fund this vital service beyond the current funding, remains a huge concern.

A regular donation can help us ensure advice and indeed all our services are protected for as many of our foodbank guests as possible.

Relaunch at CRA, our Arboretum foodbank!

Following a huge amount of hard work from our volunteers and staff, we are very excited that our foodbank based at Covenant Restoration Assembly (a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God) on Raleigh Street is reopening in April.

The foodbank will start by running a Wednesday 10am -12 noon session, fitting around our existing Radford foodbank at the Evangelical Church which operates Tues and Thurs 10-12. Both these foodbanks are open for food donations at these times.

We are hugely grateful for the volunteer team who have been busy cleaning, moving furniture, stacking shelves, arranging stock and generally getting ready for re-opening the doors to welcome guests.

We look forward to continuing to work with our friends at CRA to support people in the local community.

You can find out more about all of our foodbanks and the wonderful work they do, here.

Easter isn't far away: Lent appeal reminder!

Can you help support our foodbanks across Nottingham this Lent?

It's not too late to take part in Trussell's Lent "40 for 40" Challenge! By donating 40p for 40 days you will help us meet our running costs ensuring we can pay the rent, keep the lights and heating on, keep our van moving, provide meals and refreshments for our guests and cover the cost of our small staff team. Once you have banked your loose change, you can donate using the link or QR code on the poster below.

You can also download our "40 things for 40 days" food donation calendar here and read our Lent prayer suggestions here.

Thank you for your continued support.

View from a volunteer

Our volunteer team is made up of over 370 individuals who give their time to help others in their local communities. A huge part of our charitable work is providing safe and meaningful opportunities for local people to 'give back' as volunteers. Coming from all backgrounds and walks of life, we simply couldn't make an impact without them.

This month we hear from Penny and her son Graham who volunteer together at our Beeston foodbank.

How long have you been volunteering?

Penny: I think we've both been volunteering at the foodbank for about five and a half years now.

Graham: And I've been helping on the allotment a bit less. About 3 years.

What role do you volunteer in?

Penny: We both volunteer sorting food in the foodbank on a Thursday morning, We date and sort food donations, restock the foodbank's shelves and make up emergency food parcels ready for guests. Graham also helps on the community allotment on Tuesday mornings.

What do you enjoy about volunteering?

Graham: I love being helpful. On the allotment, I like being outside in the fresh air, getting exercise and meeting people. On Thursdays in the foodbank, I enjoy dating the food and I love being able to have a bacon cob from the Café!

Penny: Soon after we started volunteering, lock down happened. It felt really good to be useful and actually doing something worthwhile - not just being stuck sat at home or going on your one daily walk! It's gone so fast - it's hard to believe that was five years ago! I really enjoy meeting new people and making new friends through volunteering here. We both feel like volunteering means we're helping people who need support. It's giving something back to the local community.

Our sincere thanks go to Graham and Penny for sharing their experiences and to all our volunteers across all our activities, for everything they do.

Trustee focus

Hope Nottingham's Board of Trustees act as our governing body, ultimately responsible for everything we do. They provide effective governance and oversight as well as deciding our vision and strategy.

Having a committed group of trustees who are skilled in different areas, is vital to ensure we are effectively run and we are truly blessed to have a fantastic set of trustees who volunteer their time to serve Hope with such dedication. You can read more about our current trustees here.

We are currently looking for a dedicated individual to join our Board as our Trustee Treasurer. If you have suitable qualifications and/or financial experience and would relish the opportunity to help us make a real difference to local people, we'd love to hear from you.

As we continue to Inspire and Grow Communities of Hope across Nottingham - in an ever more challenging funding landscape - we are also looking to recruit a Fundraising Support Trustee/volunteers to join our team to support us in building further corporate support and improving our fundraising.

You can view the advert for both these opportunities here.

Volunteer with us!

The Volunteering page on our website lists all our current vacancies, so do take a look to see if you could help 'Inspire and Grow Communities of Hope' by joining our volunteer army!

As well as the new Trustee roles above, we currently need befriender volunteers at our Beeston Friendship Group on a Tuesday afternoon and at our monthly Beeston Community Meal, front of house volunteers at our Beeston Community Café, and office volunteers Mon-Thurs at Beeston, morning or afternoon.

Final thoughts...

This month, as we approach Easter, we think about where each of us fits in to the bigger pictures in our lives using a reflection from our 'Closer' Lent series. You can read the reflection here.

Hope Nottingham | 0303 040 1110 | www.hope-nottingham.org.uk