The Old Cranleighan Hockey and Rugby clubs are teaming up to provide assistance to East Elmbridge Food Bank in an effort to support the local community during COVID-19.

Requests for food parcels have quadrupled since the government imposed its locked down to keep us healthy and protect the NHS. Therefore, we would like our local Old Cranleighan community to join forces to do what we can to support those in need.

Background

East Elmbridge Food Bank provides emergency food to people in crisis. It is part of The Trussell Trust which runs the largest network of foodbanks in the UK. Each food parcel contains sufficient nutrition for at least three days’ worth of healthy, balanced meals for individuals and families.

Initially the food bank required money to buy supplies from wholesalers as the shops were stripped of food causing donations to dry up. Now they require food donations but also monetary donations to be able to supplement the food donations to meet demand which will continue a long way past lockdown ending, whenever that is. The have also confirmed that for the time being they have enough volunteers.

The food bank is located in Esher and serves East Molesey, West Molesey, Esher, Claygate, Hinchley Wood, Long Ditton and Thames Ditton.

For more details click here 

What can you do to help?

There are three simple ways you can help support this initiative immediately, short term and through to the end of the year:

1. Street Collections

With so many streets connecting through new WhatsApp groups it’s an ideal way to arrange for your neighbours to donate to a street collection box.  Why not get a box and pop it outside your house and ask neighbours to donate to it? That box can then be dropped at the club, in a social distancing manner, on Saturday, 25th April, between 9.30am and 11.30am.  

If you know of other OC players on your street why not join forces??? We would also love to hear from you if you plan to get a box together so just reply to this email with your name and street. 

What donations are being accepted?

Only non-perishable items please that are in date.

Breakfast cereals | Soup | Pasta | Rice | Pasta sauce | Tinned beans | Tinned meat | Tinned vegetables |

Tinned fruit | Tea or coffee | Sugar | Biscuits | Snack | Household Cleaning Products | Personal Hygiene Products

2. Donate to East Elmbridge Foodbank – Covid19 Crowdfunding Crisis Appeal

To cope with demand the centre is still buying food from wholesalers so if you can why not donate to the food banks crowdfunding page. Crowdfunder have waived their fees which means all of your donations go to the charity.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/east-elmbridge-foodbank-covid-19

3. Easyfundraising

Register with Easyfundraising today and all the donations we receive through to the 31st December, including the busy Christmas period, we will donate direct to East Elmbridge Food Bank.

Easyfundraising has over 4,000 shops and sites which will donate to us at no extra cost to yourself, including lots of big name retailers like John Lewis, Argos, Uswitch, eBay, M&S, Just Eat, Now TV, Domino’s Pizza, Amazon and Audible. All you have to do is sign up to support us using the link below. Then every time you shop online, go through the easyfundraising website or App and we’ll receive a % of your spend as a free donation, at no cost to you or us.

You can find our easyfundraising page at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ochc/?utm_campaign=raise-more&utm_medium=email&utm_content=c19-e1.

Thank you for your time and please know that we understand for many people this is a hugely challenging time for everyone so don’t feel obligated to donate we completely understand.