For eight weeks from next Monday, 9 October, Greater Anglia staff will be collecting donations of food for food banks at Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow.

The donations are to help people in food crisis this winter, and will be distributed soon after the appeal finishes on Sunday, 10 December.

Donation points have been opened at Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Sawbridgeworth, and Stansted Mountfitchet railway stations, where there will be a full list of what items are urgently required.

They include all non-perishable foods, toiletries, baby supplies, feminine products, and household items.

The man behind the appeal is Greater Anglia relief ticket office clerk, Michael King, who is based at Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Mountfitchet stations.

This isn’t the first time that Greater Anglia has organised similar collections, as last year it organised an appeal for Easter eggs at Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow Town, Stansted Airport, Stansted Mountfitchet, and Sawbridgeworth railway stations to bring a little happiness to sick children in Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, and several years ago, Cambridge railway station became a drop-off point for the city’s food bank,

Michael King, Ticket Office Clerk, Greater Anglia, said: “Our local food banks are incredible and make such a difference to those that need them around the towns we serve.

“This scheme ran last year, and our customers and staff gave almost 1,000 meals’ worth of food in the end.

“The cost-of-living crisis is still very much real, so I decided to extend the scheme by two weeks in 2023. I can’t wait to see what the total will be this year.”

Greater Anglia’s customer and community engagement manager, Alan Neville, said: “We do not think that anyone in our community should have to face going hungry and we are therefore pleased to support the Bishop Stortford and Harlow foodbanks.

“This brilliant collection has been organised by Michael, and we hope that it will make a real difference to those most in need.”