A FOODBANK in Basingstoke supporting hundreds of families has announced that it is closing its service after failing to cover rent costs.

As previously reported by the Gazette, Spotlight UK was finding it increasingly difficult to run its foodbank from Hart House on Priestly Road.

It had issued an urgent plea to anyone who can help it secure funding to enable it to stay at the premises.

READ MORE: Spotlight UK's foodbank in Basingstoke supporting hundreds of families could be forced to close

On Saturday, September 3, the organisation revealed through its Facebook page that it is officially closing its foodbank.

Meanwhile, the Basingstoke Foodbank, which has seven centres in town, is continuing to operate.

It said: “Following recent article in the Gazette, we have had to make the decision to close down our food bank and refer families to other services so that we can go back to focussing on our core work that what we originally set up for.

“We set an emergency food supplies a number of years at our old building in Popley and was used to help with one off parcels to get people by on emergency basis, however when Covid hit we stepped in to help people in need and helped to provide over 600,000 meals.

“We have then found it hard to say that we cannot help people because we saw a vulnerability and the numbers rose back up to nearly 300 people per week, however the cost involved in running a foodbank with keeping supplies up by purchasing stock, rent, expenses etc. which has meant that it’s had an impact on our intended core work and restricted what we can do to support children and young people. And sadly the numbers of children needing our support with mental health issues, support and vulnerability etc since Covid has also increased dramatically and we need to be able to concentrate on this support for children and young people.”

Spotlight UK’s main mission is giving support for children affected by domestic abuse, children in care, young carers, children affected by loss and separation and children affected by long term physical disability or mental health issues or have a family member with physical disability or mental health, youth activities to increase confidence, self-esteem and social interaction and to create new positive memories and a safe environment for fun and emotional support for young people to help with mental health and wellbeing of young people.

The organisation said: “We are feeling that activities are going to be one of the things that may have to be kerbed by a lot of families in the future because they cannot afford and we need to help do low cost and free activities to support these children, so these children can carry on being children instead of worrying about adult stresses or worrying about their parents, and they can have fun and that we can be a safety net if things dont go to plan, or people they can talk to if they need to.

“Activities are also good for emotional wellbeing and fitness and mental health so as well as the emotional support, care packs, Christmas appeal will feel that activities and creating new memories is so important.

“We want to thank everyone who has helped with our food bank.”

While seeking funding, Spotlight UK’s founder Michaela Riley said it was “just getting harder at the moment” to get grant funding and fundraising.

She said: “We have to pay the rent to have the building, a room where the foodbank is. We have been turned down for a couple of grants.

“With the cost of the food, the rent, and supplies because they are harder to come by. We get weekly supplies that go so quickly because our numbers are rising so rapidly and it is heartbreaking. We have elderly people who are living on the bread line and parents going without food so their kids can eat. We don’t want to have to turn people away but we are not going to be able to keep it going.”

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The charity was previously based at the the Popley Spotlight Centre but left the former Chineham Park Primary School building when Hampshire County Council (HCC) wanted to use it to house a new school for children with autism.

It has been based at Hart House for nearly three years.