Darlington church food bank to limit people to one bag over costs

A food bank is to hand out just one bag of food a month because it is running out of money.

St Mary’s Church, in the Cockerton area of Darlington, said it was struggling to maintain the service, which could come to an end.

Father Damon Bage said the church was spending more than £200 per week on the food bank and if the level of spending continued it would need to close by July.

“So we don’t close fully we’ve had to make the incredibly difficult decision to drop down our offering to one bag a month beginning in May,” he said.

“In the intervening weeks, clients are welcome to come and drop in for coffee and help themselves to whatever fresh food we have had donated that week.

“The food bank will still be open every week and new clients who come along will be given food bags for four weeks. Sadly, we can’t sustain that for everyone all the time.”

St Mary’s made the announcement just days after King’s Church, also in Darlington, revealed it had scaled back its food bank operation following a drop in funding.

The service provided more than 125,000 free meals to people last year but saw its donations dry up despite increased demand, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Conservative Jonathan Dulston said the cuts should act as a wake-up call for Labour-led Darlington Borough Council.

“This is now an opportunity for us to rethink how our food banks across the borough work together in partnership,” he said.

Money from the council’s Household Support Fund was allocated towards King’s Church food bank to help keep it afloat.

Darlington Borough Council has been approached for a comment.