Mayor’s Charity donations to Bedford Open Door, Bedford Foodbank and SMART CJS

Bedford Borough Council Mayor's Charity has donated £1,500 to three local charities providing vital services to those in need in Bedford Borough.

£500 each has been donated to Bedford Open Door, Bedford Foodbank and SMART CJS.

Bedford Open Door provides free and confidential counselling to young people aged 13-25. Bedford Foodbank is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by the Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. SMART CJS provides safe spaces to work with vulnerable people within our communities.

Bedford Foodbank previously received a £1,000 donation from the Mayor's Charity in June 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, and has continued as one of the Mayor's nominated charities in recognition of the vital support they have been providing during these unprecedented times.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said "With the impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had, these three charities have continued to provide crucial support to those in need across Bedford Borough. I am glad we were able to make this donation. As Coronavirus restrictions ease, we are looking forward to safely getting back to fundraising events and being able to donate more money to these fantastic local charities."

Sarah Broughton, Project Manager at Bedford Foodbank said "Bedford Foodbank is very grateful to the Mayor's Charity for this donation. A large number of households have experienced food poverty during the pandemic due to many reasons including job loss, illness or family breakdown. These factors have contributed to a huge rise in the demand for our service in the last 18 months. With this money Bedford Foodbank will be able to continue to feed some of the most vulnerable people living in the Borough of Bedford. Thank you again to the Mayor's Charity for recognising our work and for their donations."