Haywards Heath Town Council & Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid launch the Haywards Heath ‘Emergency Food Hub’ to support the Foodbank during the coronavirus pandemic
Haywards Heath Town Council and Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid today launch the Haywards Heath ‘Emergency Food Hub’, supported by Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Mid Sussex District Council and Mid Sussex Voluntary Action with the blessing of Haywards Heath Foodbank. The ‘Emergency Food Hub’ will provide food to families that the Haywards Heath Foodbank cannot reach due to capacity, and those who find themselves (in the first instance) outside of the referral system.
Cllr Alastair McPherson, Town Mayor, says
“The impact of the coronavirus has hit many organisations hard and the Town Council, Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid and Mid Sussex District Council worked together to get the Food Bank up and running again. However, it quickly became apparent that the Foodbank needed assistance with the growing capacity needs caused by the coronavirus.
Working with Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid, the District Council and Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove we are determined to ensure we are able to support our Town through this crisis. Today we are therefore launching the Haywards Heath ‘Emergency Food Hub’ which will provide a complimentary service to the Foodbank in Haywards Heath during this pandemic.
I am so proud to say that this is another example of the wonderful community we are able to draw from in our Town. I have so many people and organisations to thank. Firstly, I would like to thank the Town Council and Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid for their hard work and funding for this project and Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and their staff and supporters for their work, their experience and premises. Thanks to the Sky UK contractors & the Town Council staff, who are providing their vans, cars and drivers to deliver food and to Fairshare, Sainsburys PLC and Waitrose for their food collections and donations. Thank you to the staff from Haywards Heath Town Council, the District Council and Age UK West Sussex, Brighton & Hove who have worked tirelessly on this project. My thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who will be packing and delivering these food parcels throughout the Town and to all of you who are continuing with food donations at our various drop off sites around the Town. I must also ask that If you are able to, please do continue to donate, this is vital to the ongoing success of the Foodbank and the Emergency Food Hub to support our Town.”
The Emergency Food Hub will operate on the same guidelines as the Haywards Heath Foodbank. Once the Foodbank reaches capacity a referral will be made to the Emergency Food Hub, who offer a seven days a week service through the monitoring of emails to town.clerk@haywardsheath.gov.uk and/or by phone 01444 635002.
Residents should still register for food vouchers in the usual way. In addition to a formal referral, where there a crisis situation, the Haywards Heath Emergency Food Hub can deliver a food parcel to a family in need and who will then be advised to register via their GP or Mid Sussex District Council Health or Wellbeing Team.
Funding has also been provided for the Haywards Heath ‘Emergency Food Hub’ from the Sussex Community Foundation, Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid GoFundMe page and the Town Council has received pledges of support from Haywards Heath Rotary Club, other organisations and individuals in the community.
