Worthing businesses and individuals pitch in to support Adur and Worthing food banks at a time of unprecedented demand

More than £10,000 has been secured to date and Adur and Worthing Food Network is now on a mission to reach a target of £25,000 this winter.

Community Works launched Fund our Food Banks on November 29 on behalf of the network, to help feed people in Adur and Worthing in the build up to Christmas. Aviva Community Fund agreed to support the campaign by match funding each individual pledge up to £250 until December 31 – and such has been the need, it has now extended the offer to cover new donations until January 26.

Jessica Sumner, chief executive at Community Works, said: "Adur and Worthing food banks support over 3,000 people, including children, every month. Our food banks report that the current demand for help is unprecedented. With the cost of living increase, food banks also report seeing more families who have never required help before.

"No one should be cold or hungry this winter. Fund our Food Banks is asking for your donation to ensure our local food banks have the funds in place during this time of increased pressure. Every penny you give will go straight to the food banks who support the most vulnerable in our area."

Food banks supported by the Adur and Worthing Food Network include Worthing Soup Kitchen, Worthing Food Foundation, Worthing Vegan Foodbank, Broadwater Support Group and Lancing and Sompting Foodbank.

Kenny Tutt at Pitch Restaurant, Alex Coombes at Perch and Andy Sparsis at Proto Restaurant Group supported the launch with donations from their customers; Melanie Peters at The Social Media Rocket has helped with promotion; Carpenter Box, Michael Jones and smaller businesses like Vertex gave donations; and many individuals have given personal donations to the campaign.

Mr Sparsis said: "Quite a few businesses have jumped on board. It’s a hospitality community event. We said about getting restaurants involved and charging £1 extra on the bill. People have not only been really supportive of it, they say make it £2, a really nice easy way to raise money for food banks.

"It’s helping local people on our doorsteps and people our children go to school with. No one has said anything other than this is brilliant, well done. The response from the public has been great. People want to help but everyone is so busy. It’s worked well because of the simplicity. No hassle.

"It’s more important than ever. Normalising it is important, so I’d like to keep it going as a standard thing for restaurants and bars.”

Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fund-our-foodbanks for more information and to make a donation.