A vital food bank serving one of Britain's most deprived communities has issued an urgent plea for survival, warning it faces permanent closure within a matter of months without immediate financial support.
A Community Lifeline Under Threat
The Blackpool Big Food Project, which has supported residents across Blackpool, Fylde, and Wyre for nearly 15 years, is confronting severe financial challenges that threaten its existence. The organisation provides an astonishing 17,000 meals each week to a community identified as the UK's most deprived local authority in the recent Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.
Chief Executive Claire Powell revealed the desperate situation, explaining that the same cost of living pressures affecting local families are now crippling the charity itself. "We're facing some significant and critical financial challenges at the moment," Powell stated, highlighting the particular difficulties the Christmas period brings for both the charity and those it serves.
Dual Campaigns to Secure Survival
In response to the crisis, the project has launched two crucial fundraising initiatives. The Festive Feed appeals to individual donors with tiered giving options from £5 to £40, while 26 for '26 targets local businesses with partnership levels ranging from £500 to £5,000+.
Powell emphasised the stark reality facing many families this winter: "There's lots of people in our community that actually aren't really thinking 'how am I going to afford a gift' this Christmas, but thinking 'how am I going to afford to feed my children'."
The project has observed a sharp increase in demand for its services, particularly for crisis parcels provided to families in "dire need" who have no food available. The organisation is already on track to exceed last year's total of 5,000 crisis parcels distributed by the end of the current financial year.
More Than Just Food: Holistic Support
The Big Food Project offers comprehensive assistance beyond emergency food provision. Once immediate hunger needs are addressed, the organisation provides crucial advice on debt management, budgeting skills, and benefits guidance.
"Once you've eaten, your main thought isn't about how hungry you are," Powell explained. "You're in a better position to start thinking about the wider issues that you're having and dealing with them."
The project's ultimate ambition is to combat food insecurity to such an extent that it can transition from being a food bank to focusing entirely on financial advice services, addressing root causes rather than symptoms.
Lisa Parkinson, a former beneficiary who now volunteers with the project, testified to its transformative impact. During her cancer treatment amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when both she and her joiner husband Robert faced financial crisis, the project provided essential support.
"It just made such a big difference," Parkinson recalled. "It took the mass stress off, quite a lot of it." She noted that even NHS workers now rely on the service, where people can shop for £8, and warned that its closure would "cause a lot of stress" throughout the community.
Without urgent intervention, Powell warned of a "significant loss" to the entire community, noting that the project works with over 120 partner organisations that depend on its food distribution services.
The clock is ticking for this critical community institution, with its future now hanging in the balance as it races against time to secure the funding needed to continue serving those most in need.
