‘Hope’ when we need it most – Northampton Hope Centre helps the hungry during the pandemic

“WE VISIT EVERY PERSON EVERYDAY, CHECKING THEIR NEEDS AND DELIVERING 3 MEALS 7 DAYS A WEEK.”

BizSpace customers in Northampton are providing ‘Hope’ to those in poverty and in need of food throughout the pandemic. Northampton Hope Centre, a charity dedicated to helping tackle poverty and homelessness in the Northampton area, has been operating its food club from BizSpace Northampton KG House for two years. The pop-up shop – which sells significantly discounted food to those who need it most in the community – has now been turned into a distribution centre for food donations and deliveries to those most vulnerable during the pandemic.

Food parcels go to those who are either self-referred, referred through the council or referred through one of its partnered charities, including domestic abuse charities. At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Hope said their “foodclub has changed from being a series of pop-up shops to being a home delivery service, with all payments waived and serving approximately 3x as many people as before [the virus].”

And their vital work doesn’t stop there. “We visit every person everyday, checking their needs and delivering 3 meals 7 days a week, along with clothes, other essentials, toiletries and games, puzzles, books etc.” The charity even offers a telephone mental health service and helpful online resources too.

They were packing over 140 food parcels per week from their initial unit at BizSpace Northampton KG House, delivering food to individuals and families of all age ranges, who are on benefits, living in poverty or facing adversity due to the pandemic.

Having reached maximum capacity and with the need to follow social distancing guidelines, The Hope Centre was in danger of closing down or having to severely reduce its work to avoid putting volunteers’ health at risk. If they closed down, so many vulnerable people who rely on their services in Northampton would be further at risk, not just from the pandemic but without the food and reliable support Hope offers.

To help combat this, BizSpace gifted an additional unit to the charity to help with safety concerns and ensure that food can be donated and distributed to those who rely on it to survive. With the extra space, the charity has been able to work with other food banks in the Northampton area, making BizSpace Northampton the central food hub.

The centre’s location means that donations can be made safely, and logistically the operation of deliveries and donations is more efficient.

“We were delighted to be in a position where we could help Northampton Hope Centre to continue their important work which is having a strong positive impact on the local community” stated Brian Andrews, Managing Director South at BizSpace. “In times like these we must remember the importance of community. What Northampton Hope Centre is doing is inspiring, remarkable and particularly valuable at a time when more people than normal are facing adversity.”

Learn more about BizSpace Northampton KG House and our other centres nationwide here.