Bishop’s Move is helping to reduce poverty in the UK by setting up food collection points in all its branches across the UK.

Both employees and customers can drop their donations off at any Bishop’s branch for the company to deliver to local food banks, including those operated by the Trussell Trust.

The Trust has more than 1,200 food bank centres in its network across the UK with research from the Independent Food Aid Network suggesting these centres account for roughly two-thirds of all emergency food bank provision in the UK.

Branch Manager Kenny Janczyk, from Bishop’s Move Edinburgh said, “It’s early days in setting up but we are working hard to push these collection points in order to help all we can to end hunger and poverty within our local communities. Poverty can affect anyone at any time through reasons out of their control and we need to all work together to look to reduce the current need for foodbanks. We’ve teamed up with our local foodbank and drop-in centre - Food, Fact and Friends - in Penicuik, Midlothian and are providing a container free of charge in our new Ease The Squeeze self-store where the donated items can be stored and collected as required, as well as providing a vehicle to assist with their planned events.”

The Trussell Trust reported in their end of year stats that it had handed out a record 1.6 million emergency food packages in 2018 and had seen a 19% rise in the number of people needing its help.

Photo: Mark Wells (Food, Facts and Friends), Kenny Janczyk (Bishop’s Move) and Jim Paterson (Food, Facts and Friends).