Could you help us, or could you circulate our criteria for new premises to anyone who might be interested in helping us.
In a nutshell this is our ‘wish list’:
- 2,500 – 3,000 square feet plus parking and drop off area for volunteers / clients / donations
- a space within easy walking distance of Basingstoke town centre (or near to the town centre with good bus routes nearby) to house our Foodbank Centre ‘cafe’ area + a storage area + a kitchen/kitchenette + if possible, an office space for 3 or 4 volunteers to hot-desk. We can insert partitioning if it’s an open space.
- ground floor with good access for prams & wheelchairs. However, an office space could be on another floor if necessary
- available for long-term rent or purchase (however renting is probably more realistic)
- we are open to sharing space with other complementary charities to help with rental costs, and who can offer additional services & support for our clients experiencing crisis.
We are on borrowed time with our ‘off site’ storage area as it has a buyer, however planning permission is slow and we’ve been assured we’ll have reasonable notice to move out.
There is no pressure for us to leave our rented rooms in Trinity Methodist Church, however it has had long-term accessibility and storage space challenges, thus our desire to find one larger ground floor location to house everything.
Please contact paulavallance@basingstoke.foodbank.org.uk
