Lancaster community food charity ‘disheartened’ by repeated vandalism

Tuesday, 4 June 2024 15:05

A charity that distributes surplus food to those in need in the Lancaster district say it’s ‘disheartening’ their van keeps being vandalised.

Eggcup stops surplus food from going to waste and gets it to people instead, and have Community Food Outlets on Chapel Street in Lancaster and the West End of Morecambe.

The team at Eggcup say in the latest attack, £500 of damage has been caused after the windscreen and wing mirror on their refrigerated vehicle were smashed.

A spokesperson said: ‘’At Eggcup we collect a lot of surplus food in bulk and we share the food out. We make sure affordable food gets to people in need. We think we do a good job, but to do this job, we need our refrigerated van.

‘’The problem is, our van keeps getting attacked. We know that kids are doing this at night, because there were witnesses. We appreciate that life can be boring and frustrating and that smashing things up can be a thrill.

‘’But this damage really hurts us. We simply can’t afford to keep paying for this. We really don’t have the funds. And being attacked like this is disheartening for our staff and volunteers.

‘’We know times are hard for a lot of people so we’re not making this into a funding appeal. But if you’re doing OK at the moment and can afford to make a donation we would really appreciate it.’’

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A spokesperson added: ‘’Mostly we’re asking everyone to help put a protective shield around us by getting the word out and, we hope, reaching these kids – let them know this is not a good thing to do.

‘’We know it’s not malice or badness. Kids will always act out and perhaps they don’t know that this has a real impact on people who rely on us.

‘’What they’re smashing up isn’t really a van – they’re smashing up the chance of support getting to people who need it.

‘’Please support us to keep doing what we do.’’