By Andy Hirst

A new charity has been set up in the Colne Valley to help combat poverty and hunger.

Simply called Colne Valley Help, it’s based at Slaithwaite Fire Station in the village and is now looking for more volunteers.

It runs two food share schemes – one in Slaithwaite and the other in Golcar – where people can turn up to collect essentials such as food or toiletries that have been donated or are surplus supermarket stock.

It’s recently been massively helped by members of running club Slaithwaite Striders who ran 30 marathons in 30 days to raise just over £1,600. Click here to read more about the Slaithwaite Striders.

People in need don’t have to be referred to Colne Valley Help by another organisation. They can simply turn up at the fire station between 1pm and 2pm on Friday afternoons.

There is also a drop in place for the Golcar, Longwood and Milnsbridge areas at the Drop By Centre, 12 Sycamore Court, Golcar, HD3 4SS on Monday lunchtimes from 11.30am to 12.30pm.

People who are given food packs are asked to make a small donation if they possibly can.

Colne Valley Help’s roots go back to March 2020 at the start of the Covid pandemic when two groups, Slaithwaite Mutual Aid and Marsden Help, were set up to help people.

Left – Colne Valley Striders who ran 30 marathons in 30 days and right Colne Valley Scout Leader Richard Izzard

They supported people struggling or isolated because of Covid and did great community-minded tasks such as dropping off food and prescriptions and giving people lifts to medical appointments.

Colne Valley Help trustee Richard Izzard said: “This experience gave us a wider knowledge of the economic and physical needs of people living in the Colne Valley who are suffering from real hardship. We realised we could do more to help in the long-term.”

The two groups joined forces in January 2022 to form Colne Valley Help and demand for its services has doubled since then as the economic crisis continues to heap financial pressure on people who simply can’t afford the essentials in life.

Apart from organising the food share operations, Colne Valley Help runs cooking lessons and cooking clubs to help people eat as well and healthily as possible.

The charity is also at the forefront of running youth clubs in Slaithwaite and Marsden, providing both funding and staffing.

Colne Valley Help is run by a board of trustees helped by volunteers and more are always needed.

To contact the charity email colnevalleyhelp@outlook.com or phone 07535 033164.

The charity’s website is https://www.colnevalleyhelp.org.uk/

* Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging and copywriting. Copyright Andy Hirst.

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