Staff from an award-winning PR agency have helped a local food bank prepare for the busy Christmas period.
Mold-based Outwrite PR’s team spent two afternoons assisting volunteers from Flintshire Foodbank in its appeal for donations in the build up to Christmas.
Outwrite’s managing director Tracy North and administrator Stacey Wright joined food bank volunteers at Tesco in Mold to hand out example shopping lists with items including tinned fruit and pasta for people in need.
Tracy and Stacey were tasked with asking shoppers if they would consider buying an item of food to donate to the food bank, and explaining why it was needed.
They also helped pack all donations into crates at the end of the collection. Items including biscuits and mince pies were sorted into special crates as part of the Christmas appeal.
Outwrite’s digital director Anthony Bullick and PR and digital marketing assistant Will Catterall then worked a shift at Flintshire Foodbank’s warehouse.
They assisted volunteers at the warehouse, based in the former county library at Shire Hall, as scores of crates were prepared for distribution across Flintshire.
Anthony and Will helped fill crates with different foodstuffs for collection, and worked in the warehouse’s dedicated baked bean and cereal storage rooms to collect stock.
They also helped ship some last minute orders to some of the food bank’s eight collection points.
Flintshire Foodbank is formed from local churches and community groups, who volunteer to manage the donation and distribution of emergency food supplies to local people in crisis.
In December it helps an average of an average of 800 people, with around 300 of those children. In the UK, one in five people live below the poverty line, with many in Flintshire affected.
Stacey said: “I enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone and helping out an important cause for the local area, as I live and work in Mold. Almost everyone we spoke to was willing to get into the Christmas spirit and help.
“The two hours flew by and it was brilliant to see our collection basket full to the brim, being sent off to people in need.
Will added: “I knew the food bank was going to be very busy at this time of the year, but only when you see the thousands of food items at the warehouse do you appreciate the scale of Flintshire Foodbank’s work.
“Anthony and I were kept busy during the shift and helped sort some late orders to make sure crucial supplies went out. It was a good volunteering experience and I’d recommend it to other local people and companies.”
Outwrite’s clients include food buying group Fairway Foodservice, logistics company Ningbo Palletised Distribution, Chester-based PJM Flooring Services, and Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK.
The agency has been shortlisted for 11 awards in 2017, winning gold and silver at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ PRide awards in the North West and Wales.