A WIDNES Market hall salon owner is volunteering for the Foodbank to help the community and teach her kids never to take anything for granted.

Creme de la Creme owner Kathryn Carney has been picking up food from Crossing Point in Widnes and delivering to people’s houses since the first lockdown, while her salon at the market is closed.

She brings along her 10-year-old daughter Kyia in hope to show her how to appreciate everything she has in life.

The 38-year-old said: “This is so close to my heart as I take on students in my salon. Kids these days just want to much and I think they need to see what really happens.

“It is shocking how I can live in one area and the area next door to me live in such a different way. I have always wanted to get involved more with my community but being a mum of three and working full time it is just too hard. When lock down was announced the first thing I wanted to do was to help out.

“I just find it hard to get the message across that people can help out and should be helping their community.”

The foodbank was used to having around 10 deliveries a week but recently found themselves doing 13 deliveries a day with five drivers. They launched an appeal for drivers a few weeks back when they noticed a huge increase over the school holidays. The bank is open limited hours from 10.30am to 1pm each day.

Treasurer for Widnes Foodbank and volunteer since 2013, Sheila Smith said: “We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers. We have relied on them so much as we noticed such a big increase over the school holidays due to school meals and problems with benefits.

“When we sent out our appeal, we received such a fantastic response from our community like usual.”

Runcorn and Widnes World:

With 3,264 emergency parcels provided during 2019/ 2020 and 34 per cent of children in Halton growing up in poverty, people have started relying more on food banks recently in lockdown and since the flooding. Food banks such as Widnes Food Bank rely on their volunteers to rotate stock in their warehouses, packed up the parcels and deliver the food to those who are vulnerable.

OM to Derek Twigg MP, Cllr Andrea Wall, said: “These foodbanks are really important. They are delivering food to those in need. If they didn’t do that with the volunteer’s help, people would go hungry.

“I know they [The government] have given people furlough but 80 per cent doesn’t quite cover it especially when people live as they earn.

“There has been an increase in demand for foodbanks since lockdown and the floods and I know the government want people to stay at home and have food delivered, but if you have little money then you can’t spend £4 on delivery fees. It is hard for people.”

Andrea was given time off during the summer by Mr Twigg to help support Widnes food bank’s warehouse and help with the rotation of stock and date all the food being donated.

Since January 11 Widnes Foodbank has stopped its paper foodbank vouchers and is now issuing paperless e-vouchers to stay in line with the current social distancing regulations and all food is provided through home delivery only. The organisation first opened in 2012.

They work with the Trussell who have ensure food parcels contain sufficient nutrition to last for at least three days for either an individual or an entire family. A typical food parcel may include the following items: soup, pasta, rice, sauce, beans, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tea, sugar and so on.

If you wish to help out or if you need support from Widnes foodbank visit widnesfoodbank.org.uk/contact-us/