Rixonway Kitchens supports food bank scheme in Dorset

Published by Elizabeth Pokorny for Rixonway Kitchens Limited in Communities

Some of the most vulnerable people in Gillingham, Dorset, have been helped with a generous donation of a new kitchen in its foodbank centre from Rixonway Kitchens. 

Responding to a plea for help via CRASH, the construction and property industry’s homelessness charity, Rixonway Kitchens supplied wall units, base units and worktops free of charge to Gillingham foodbank operating in Dorset.

Established in December 2011 under the Trussell Trust umbrella, Gillingham  foodbank collects donations of non-perishable, in-date food from supermarkets, schools, churches, businesses and individuals.  Volunteers then sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need identified by care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police who issue them with a foodbank voucher.

To become more efficient, the foodbank desperately needed kitchen facilities at the new premises in Gillingham and approached CRASH for help.  Their request was passed to Rixonway who has been manufacturing quality kitchens since 1978 at its factory in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Gillingham Foodbank Manager Robert Rickards said:

“We are really most grateful for the generosity of Rixonway Kitchens for supplying a new kitchen for our foodbank. The way we have worked with Rixonway has been a great help in allowing us to be flexible in the layout.”

He added: “All our volunteers are duly impressed with the new premises and feel it is a much more comfortable and convenient environment in which to be helping out.”

Trussell Trust Executive Chairman, Chris Moud was invited to David Cameron's Easter Celebrations at 10 Downing Street recently in recognition of the important work that foodbanks are doing across the UK.

Chris said: “The Prime Minister's acknowledgement of foodbanks is testament to the incredible work of all those across the UK who have stepped up and launched a foodbank in their towns to stop people going hungry. It's a big well done to everyone involved.”

Rixonway Operations Director, Nick Greenall, said: “We’re always keen to help with community initiatives especially when they are as worthwhile as this project. We hope the donation allows the service to continue helping those in need.”

This kitchen donation is the latest example of Rixonway’s involvement with community based projects. Recently the company donated a kitchen to Ronald Ross School in Wandsworth, Two Counties Nursery in Wales as well as Pontefract Collieries Football Club in Yorkshire. Other kitchen donations have also gone to The Burnt Oak Community Centre in Barnet, The Harrogate Homeless Project in Harrogate, Yorkshire and to the Edgeley Children’s Play Centre in Stockport, Lancashire.

Formed in 1978, Yorkshire-based Rixonway Kitchens is the only UK kitchen manufacturer working solely in affordable and social housing.  It manufactures 12,000 units per week and employs over 450 people at its UK HQ and state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Dewsbury with 40 site-based designers who operate nationwide.