City food bank marks 15 years of operations

A food bank that provides emergency food for thousands of struggling families is marking its 15th anniversary of operations.

The Coventry Food bank, in Binley, was first set up in the Hope Centre in Hillfields and Queens Road Baptist Church, on the 21 January 2011.

More than 250,000 people have received meals from the bank since it first opened, with parcels now distributed from 14 food hubs across the city.

The charity's founder, Gavin Kibble, said he had found a "real need across the city" and food banks were a "lifeline" for those facing hardship.

To mark its 15 years in operation, the Lord Mayor of Coventry, Rachel Lancaster, will visit the bank on Thursday, Kibble added.

Kibble, a former finance director, was first inspired to set up the food bank when he was working at the Christians Against Poverty charity.

"We kept meeting people who didn't have any food in their homes, so we decided we needed to do something about that," he said.

"That's why we started the food bank in 2011."

Coventry Food bank is also part of the Trussell Trust's network of 428 food banks around the UK.

Kibble said he thought the charity would only be feeding a "few thousand" each year but demand "escalated," with about 18,200 people provided with food in 2023 and 2024.

"Most people who go to a food bank don't want to come to a food bank, but it's a lifeline that's there just in case," he added.

"It's a hand up rather than handouts," he said. "We like to try and help people."

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