Portsmouth MP pitches in at city food bank collection

A COMMUNITY effort to stock up food banks across the city ahead of Christmas has been hailed a major success.
Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David GeorgePortsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George
Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George

The Tesco store in North Harbour has been hosting Portsmouth Foodbank as part of their Christmas drive.

And todat city MP Penny Mordaunt joined those helping with the collection.

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Volunteers say that this is a very intense time of year for the food banks, and that it’s important to have enough stock in reserve.

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David GeorgePortsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George
Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George

Philip Burgess, from Portsmouth, volunteers with the food bank in North End and was helping out with the Tesco food collection.

He said: ‘This is a very busy time of year, a lot of people will be coming through our doors.

‘We’ve got volunteers here all weekend and it has been very good so far.

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‘We have loads of stuff in the warehouse as a result of people’s generosity, so things are going really well.

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David GeorgePortsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George
Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt, second from left, poses with Tesco staff and Portsmouth Foodbank volunteers. Picture: David George

People are coming along and purchasing a couple of extra items during their shop, then popping it into our trolleys – which is greatly appreciated.’

Philip says that some items are needed more urgently than others this year.

He said: ‘Things like milk and fruit juice tend to run low – but there are all sorts of things that you sometimes get a surplus of and sometimes desperately need.’

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International development secretary Ms Mordaunt said: ‘I really wanted to say thank you to the food bank teams across Portsmouth, and to Tesco for doing another food collection this year.

‘The way it works is you just donate one or two extra items, which means we can give food parcels to families across the city who are under additional pressures at Christmas with their families, and it just enables them to have a much happier Christmas.

‘Thank you to all the volunteers and to everyone who has donated.’