We spoke to UoB’s KINVIG Society about their Trussell Trust Christmas Food Collection

Geography, Earth and Environmental Society, KINVIG is collecting food donations for the Trussell Trust.

KINVIG is collecting donations in Selly Oak now which will be delivered to the B30 food bank on December 7th in time for Christmas.

The most needed items include: instant coffee, hot chocolate, squash and toilet rolls.

I think it’s fair to say we’ve all had a pretty tough year. However, cast a thought to the recipients of the 1.2 million food parcels distributed nationally by the Trussell Trust between April and September of this year. 108 000 of these parcels were given to local people in the West Midlands.

Following on from Marcus Rashford’s amazing campaign to provide free school meals to underprivileged children, the spotlight has once again been placed upon the 2,000 food banks that keep people fed across the UK.

Birmingham’s Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Society, KINVIG, is doing its bit to help. Organised by second year geography student Amelia Dunlop, and supported by co-presidents of KINVIG Jess Dunning and James Gerring, the society is collecting food donations from students across Selly Oak to be donated to the B30 food bank in Cotteridge, run by The Trussell Trust.

Amelia, KINVIG’s charity rep, told The Birmingham Tab they thought that due to Covid and with Christmas around the corner, “so many people will be relying on food banks”. She described how the society have chosen to donate to B30, Selly Oak’s local food bank because they think “it’s so important to support the community around us in Birmingham.”

Jess, co-president of KINVIG, explained to The Birmingham Tab the society has seen how Covid has impacted people and are doing their collection “in the knowledge that more families are struggling”. KINVIG want to give something back to the community and support the foodbank “knowing that we could easily need it ourselves one day”.

She acknowledged that “a lot of us are in a fortunate position”, especially as we’ve been saving money by staying in this year, with Amelia adding they think this is “a great opportunity to get loads of people involved and donate as much as possible.”

The B30 foodbank’s most needed items include:

• Instant coffee

• Hot chocolate

• Instant mash

• Tinned potatoes

• Squash

• Long life fruit juice

• Gender-neutral roll on deodorants

• Toilet rolls

• Sturdy bags for life

The students will collect donations from people’s houses and deliver the food to the B30 food bank on Monday 7^th December to be given to families in time for Christmas.

For more information, you can visit the KINVIG Facebook page here. 

For information about the Trussell Trust’s B30 food bank, you can visit their website here.

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