Celebrity guest expected at Foodshare open day and tour at its new location

Maidenhead Foodshare is inviting the whole community to join it for an open day celebration at its new home at No.9 Reform Road.

On September 14, from 11am to 1pm, Foodshare is throwing open its doors so that visitors can tour the new Food Hall, warehouse and community kitchen.

Visitors will have the opportunity to witness how the charity collects, stores, and distributes food to those in need.

Special guests, including TV’s Ross Kemp, will join in to mark this new chapter for Foodshare.

Foodshare has been around for 15 years, providing more than two million free meals through schools, breakfast clubs, the homeless, and directly to families in crisis.

The move into the former Thames Hospice building follows years of operating from temporary premises.

Volunteers recently completed the mammoth task of moving more than 1,000 crates of food, freezers, chillers, and furniture into the new site.

Trustee Debbie Gee said: “We believe that No. 9 will put the heart and soul back into Maidenhead, creating space for more community-focused projects.”

The move comes ‘at a critical time’ – the cost-of-living crisis has put the charity under ‘intense strain’, with food donations dropping by more than 50 per cent in the past year.

As such, Foodshare is appealing for support from the community.

“If everyone in Maidenhead donated just one item of non-perishable food a week, it would secure our ability to help everyone who needs it,” said ambassador David Howells.

A secure donation drop-off point is now open at No. 9. All drop-off locations can be found at foodshare.charity