Trinity Foundation's Big Feed delivers

The Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation are excited to announce that we delivered 1454 meals to those in need across the Wakefield district throughout the festive period.

This initiative was brought in through another external project the foundation was thinking of running throughout 2020. ‘The Big Project’, as it is called, would simultaneously have run in 2020, hosting four sibling events in ‘The Big Sleep’, “The Big Listen’, ‘The Big Festival’, and, the event which has just taken place, ‘The Big Feed.’

Partnered with Wakefield District Housing and Wakefield Council, the foundation set itself goals to deliver 1000 meals across eight days. These expectations were smashed, and within the first six days of the event, the foundation was able to top their preliminary target.

Much of the success of the event was down to the tireless efforts of over 120 volunteers, who dedicated their free time over Christmas to help feed those in need. With projects such as this normally struggling to reach double figures, to get over 100 was an outstanding achievement.

This improved volunteer figure meant the project could expand and double its reach across the city. Following this, the foundation set up another hub, operating out of both Rycroft Leisure Centre and the Mobile Rocket Stadium.

To increase the rate of demand and help those struggling to leave their homes, the club’s main telephone number was turned into a hotline for the event, where our volunteers would spend their time answering calls, whilst passing on the details to help feed as wider audience as possible.

However, this event wouldn’t have been manageable or possible without the team effort of LD Nutrition, a catering company based in both Castleford and Pontefract, who offered their man-hours to produce and supply freshly-cooked, healthy meals ready to be served. 

This was an outstanding donation, which improved the foundation’s chances of supplying as many meals as possible. 

Alongside the supplying of meals, the foundation also offered toys and selection boxes to the children of the families we were serving.

As a foundation, we were never going to eradicate poverty, however, making a small effort over Christmas could make a world of difference and our Head of Foundation, Craig Shepherd, hopes that has been achieved.

“I don’t think the event has done much in terms of preventing poverty, what we have tried to do is plug a gap and there is a lot more work still to be done,?? Shepherd explained.

“Some of the families that we helped support may be temporarily out of work due to factors associated with Covid-19.

“However, this is what life is like for some families year-round, not just at Christmas, and there is a lot of organisations that support them.??

On the back of what has been a bleak year in many books, the foundation’s Big Feed event has shown some positives amongst many negatives. 

Now, as 2020 came to an end and 2021 begins, Shepherd is hopeful of a positive year as the foundation continues to change lives for the better.

“What we have done and achieved throughout ‘The Big Feed’ and 2020 will stand us in good stead as we enter 2021, mainly because we have shown what type of demand there is,?? said Shepherd.

“The numbers have grown as the project has gone on and on the second to last day, we tipped 260 meals - the most in one day - leaving just 90 for our final few hours.

“Overall, it has shown us that what we have done over the eight days has been appreciated because if we hadn’t been here, that is 1400 meals not entering the homes of our community. 

“So, next year, the sky is the limit.??

The Wakefield Trinity Community Foundation would like to take the time to thank all volunteers for Minster Law, Wakefield District Housing, Wakefield Council, Turning Point, Cash Wise, NCS and both the Wakefield Trinity Ladies Rugby League and Football sides for their outstanding and dedicated contribution.