Greater Anglia’s passengers at five Essex stations have donated food that will make up more than sixteen hundred meals for people in crisis this winter.

After the appeal was launched in October, passengers donated a total of 684 kilograms of food and other items at Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Sawbridgeworth, and Stansted Mountfitchet stations, plus £457 in cash donations.

After Laura Todd, who works as a SEND Careers Advisor, saw the appeal, Essex County Council staff in Harlow also donated items to the collection, including food, toiletries, nappies and sanitary products. Laura’s family and friends helped too, including Sawbridgeworth Fawbert and Barnard Infants Schools, and Reedings Junior School.

All donations were delivered to Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow and Sawbridgeworth food banks on 13 December. Harlow food bank is supported by the Trussell Trust.

Greater Anglia’s Michael King, who works as a relief ticket office clerk at Sawbridgeworth and Stansted Mountfitchet. organised the initiative, which began in 2022, when customers and staff donated around one thousand meals and half a tonne of food, toiletries, hot water bottles and blankets to foodbanks just before Christmas.

Earlier this year, Michael organised a collection of Easter Eggs for children in hospital.

Michael said, “I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has kindly donated to the foodbank appeal. It was a real team effort this year. We have donated 1,629 meals’ worth of food and 684 kilograms worth of other helpful items to get families through winter.

“I am always astounded by how much is donated and this year is no exception – especially with the help of Laura and her team at Essex County Council too, which helped to boost things.

“It makes your heart swell, especially when this year has been so hard for so many people.”

Emma Revie, Chief Executive at the Trussell Trust said, “Thank you to the team at Greater Anglia train company for their incredible support.

“This winter is expected to be the toughest yet, with food banks in our network distributing more than 1 million parcels between December and February which equates to one every eight seconds. Food bank teams are working tirelessly to ensure help continues to be available, but ultimately, no-one in the UK should need to turn to a food bank as all of us should have enough money for the essentials.

“The support of Greater Anglia train company will help food banks within our network continue to provide emergency support, while we work together in the long term to build a country without the need for food banks.”