Yahoo News Church solves 'heart-breaking' issue surrounding food bank
A community church has installed a new ramp to aid those struggling amidst the cost of living crisis. The Cheltenham Elim Church, now equipped with an accessibility feature, is set to better serve individuals with disabilities and parents with young children who rely on the town's foodbank distribution centres.
The Mayor of Cheltenham, Cllr Matt Babbage, had the honour of cutting the ribbon at the unveiling ceremony, which was attended by church members, foodbank representatives, and local community members, all celebrating this beneficial addition to the building
The work has been five years in the planning and the church say the installation could not have been possible without architects, designers and donations from groups such as Garfield Western and the Benefact Trust.
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Trustees from the Elim Church brought the whole project together and Associate Minister Dave Wellington says that for a long time the church has wanted to make the building, which was built in the 1950s, fully accessible. The Elim Church ground floor was only accessible if you had "working legs, so physically some people just could not get up into our building so we felt we needed to improve the accessibility", Dave said.
Dave adds: "It has been heart-breaking to see some of our food bank clients come along in the wet in the winter and they haven't been able to get up our stairs to get the help they need so we're delighted. Getting the food that you need and then going back down the ramp is now a game changer."
Sarah Baker as the food bank manager said: "The ramp is great and it is a necessity. We seek to serve the community and it has been tough without the accessibility. This will definitely make a difference and it is not news to anyone that food bank usage has gone up hugely over the last few years and there are more people than ever in crisis here in Cheltenham."
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