Fears for St Andrews foodbank in need of new home

The space currently occupied by Storehouse, at the Vineyard Centre on Largo Road, will no longer be available for use, leaving volunteers to try and find a new home for the group.

The need for a home for Storehouse is as important as ever, as demand continues to rise. Demand doubled in both 2016 and 2017, and rose a further 22 per cent in 2018.

Overall, in the last four years, the demand has risen by almost twelve times.

Stocks of donations have been running out and shelves had been empty at the end of some of the sessions.

“We are so pleased to be giving out the resources that we have been given, although if current trends continue we will not be able to serve the community in the way that we have been blessed to do so thus far,” said co-ordinator Scott White.

Usage this year has been greater than ever before and is on track to double the figures from last year.

Volunteers attribute this, in part, to difficulties caused by Universal Credit. There are concerns about the surge in use that usually comes in December due to cold weather and it being the holiday season, combined with political uncertainty linked with Brexit.

Storehouse, which helps people throughout north east Fife, was launched in 2006.

It aims at providing food and other household items to those in need, while also building the community.

Clients, who are referred to Storehouse by partner organisations, drop-in to sessions operated twice a week, and are welcomed by a team of volunteers who chat with them over tea or coffee.

When they are ready, a volunteer accompanies them into a private room and they take as much food as they need to keep them going until their next visit.

Storehouse believes that the kindness and community that this model affords is indispensable. As Mr White explained: “We are finding more and more that people come to Storehouse for advice and company, as well as food and goods.”

Storehouse is open for the collection of food parcels on Tuesday, 11am-1pm, and Thursday 11am-1pm.

Food donations can be dropped off on Wednesday, 8am-12.30pm, and Tuesday and Thursday 2-4pm.

Donations can also be dropped off at Storehouse’s local business partners – Nationwide, 151 Market Street, and Stonehouse Lettings, 73 South Street.