Be the Life Changer – Eastbourne residents urged to back fund-raising appeal

A major new fund-raising appeal will benefit Eastbourne people who urgently need advice and support to help lift them out of poverty.

Eastbourne Foodbank has launched its first ever Christmas Appeal and hopes to raise thousands of pounds to fund the vital debt advice, advocacy and welfare support the charity provides. The “Be the Life Changer” appeal began today and will run throughout December.

Chief Executive Jess Holliday said: “We are not just about food. The emergency food we distribute can literally be a life saver for people in crisis – but the advice and support we provide is just as important. We work with people who visit our foodbank to address the financial challenges they are facing, lifting them out of poverty. This work is truly life changing”

With that advice and support, she added, people can be helped so they no longer need to use the foodbank. “Ultimately that’s what we’re about. We are working for future in which foodbanks don’t need to exist, both across the UK and right here in Eastbourne.”

Eastbourne Foodbank has had an advice and debt service for some years, and last year its advisors recouped more than £1million for clients. It also runs a Baby Basics service, providing essential support for struggling young families.

While it employs a small team of advisors and has several volunteers to support these areas of work, it wants to raise funds to help more people.

Jess said: “The reality is that many people in Eastbourne need this help and support, which can provide the long term solutions that enable people to stop having to rely on charity to put food on the table.

“People often don’t know what support they’re entitled to, or really don’t know how to go about accessing it. And we see people who have never been in this situation before, never imagined they’d be facing such a crisis: people who are terrified by their mounting debt and really struggle to get to grips with it. Last year we helped more than a thousand people in this way – but, as one of the busiest foodbanks in the UK, we want to be able to do more.”

The “Be the Life Changer” appeal features the story of just one client. It’s based on the experience of real clients, but names and circumstances have been altered to protect confidentiality. It’s the story of Mel and her two young children. Mel is grieving for her mum, while also trying to manage debt and keep bailiffs from the door. When Mel visited the foodbank, she not only got support with emergency food and essential items for her baby and toddler, but was met with kindness and warmth, and supported to manage her overwhelming debts.

“Mel is like so many of the people who come to us in crisis. People’s problems are often very complex and can easily lead to other issues such as poor mental health, difficulties in getting and holding on to work and your confidence at rock bottom. It becomes a sort of spiral of catastrophe, and people feel hopeless. Tackling these things, especially on your own, is incredibly hard.” Jess added.

And she is confident the people of Eastbourne will get behind the appeal. “Time and time again we have seen the magnificent way our local community responds to the need in the town. Life is hard for many people but still people care about others – and still they give. This is a fantastic community and it is thanks to the consistent generosity and compassion from so many, that we’re able to do the life changing work we do.”

She invited everyone to get involved in this work to change lives. “All donations, no matter how large or small, will help fund this important work, lifting people out of poverty and out of crisis. Every single penny makes a difference. Together, we can begin to turn the tide on poverty, so people in Eastbourne no longer need to use the foodbank. Together, we can change lives.”

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