9 June 2020
Laura Farris MP announced yesterday that The Lambourn Junction is one of the two community projects awarded the Community Champions Award.
Laura wrote: “Last Friday, I visited the Lambourn Junction which opened its doors two months ago, to provide emergency supplies of food toiletries and baby clothes to families who were struggling through the crisis. The Junction offers help to around 150 households many who have lost work during lockdown and have been struggling to cope with children at home. They are literally a lifeline and truly amazing women.”
Anna Field, the lead coordinator of the Lambourn Junction is delighted: “It is wonderful that our work here has been recognised by our local MP and to receive a Community Champion Award means so much to us. We are a team of 12 volunteers at the Junction working with 73 volunteers who are out and about in the village helping the community at this time of crisis.”
The Lambourn Junction receives an average of 6-8 referrals every day on the helpline number, upwards of 6 private messages daily via social media, and we have on average 8-11 walk ins every day needing food parcels. In addition food parcels are delivered to isolating households every day.
Helen Noll commented: “We are seeing an increasing number of families needing help, with the pressure and financial demand of having children at home 24/7 mounting. We can supply countless examples of cases where people have said we are a ‘lifeline’, that ‘they don’t know what they would do without us’.”
Individuals, companies and organisations in the parish have been most generous. The Junction receives donations on a daily basis from the kind residents of Lambourn. Some businesses make regular donations, contacting us to find out what we are in greatest need of this week. The outpouring of generosity and support from the community has been overwhelming.
The Lambourn Junction works in collaboration with Spotlight FoodHub through the West Berkshire Council Community Hub.
If you need help at this difficult time call the Lambourn Volunteer Line on 01488 50 50 50 to contact the Lambourn Junction and the local volunteer network.
