On the 25th of November I'll be hosting a charity music fundraiser in the Skerries pub, with the aim of raising money and food stuffs for the Bangor Cathedral foodbank, whilst showcasing a selection of fantastic local musical talent.

Located next to Bangor’s ancient cathedral, the foodbank has provided a vital service to the people of Bangor and surrounding area since it's foundation in 2011. The foodbank’s mission is to provide food to those of us who are struggling below the poverty line.

North Wales is one of the most economically deprived areas in the UK, which means a higher percentage of the population are reliant on non-governmental services such as the food bank. Since late 2019 Bangor Cathedral foodbank has struggled to keep pace with the increasing demand as more people find themselves in financial distress. Published statistics show that both the amount of individual and family food packages provided have more than doubled since 2013.

The Cathedral Foodbank is completely non-profit with all staff working on a voluntary basis and is solely monetarily supported via the donations of local individuals, schools, local businesses, churches and other charities.

There is no time of year when these services are more stretched than the festive period, when energy usage costs are at their highest and many of us spend more than we can afford to make it a special time for those we love. For these reasons we've decided to do our part this Christmas, and raise some festive cheer alongside much needed money and food for this brilliant service!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Pls find some links below that showcase the great work the Cathedral foodbank does or links to where you can donate food or money if you'd prefer to go directly to them Diolch yn fawr!

https://www.facebook.com/bangorfoodbank

https://bangorcathedral.churchinwales.org.uk/bancbwyd/

https://www.thebangoraye.com/in-focus-bangor-cathedral-foodbank-volunteers/

https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/97633/pdf/

https://www.thebangoraye.com/bangor-cathedral-foodbank-appeal-for-donations/

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/21/tackling-the-grim-reality-of-food-poverty-in-britain

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/food-bank-demand-and-the-rising-cost-of-living/#:~:text=The%20rise%20in%20the%20cost%20of%20living%20is,charities%20expect%20a%20further%20%E2%80%9Csurge%20in%20demand%20%E2%80%9D.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/06/food-bank-donor-to-to-user-soaring-demand-for-aid

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/26/uk-food-bank-charity-reports-record-take-up-amid-cost-of-living-crisis

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/14/how-a-food-bank-is-struggling-to-keep-up