We are just about to renew the flooring, paint the walls and to buy furniture to allow us to offer the space to different groups, in fact by the time this goes to print, we will be able to include a lovely picture of our progress so far! Thanks to Caractacus Housing for their kind donation to fund the floor.

Now the upgrade to the building is very nearly completed the trustees are very keen that the space is used by other organisations and not just as a food bank. We have Home-Start looking to use the space for some of their activities including a mother and toddler group and we are starting cooking lessons for any local residents that would be interested (please contact us for information). One of the tasks of our new development officer is to develop the use of the building for other groups.

Before I go any further there are several people who the trustees want to thank for their support. Mark Pendarves and Richard Webber from Shearwell Data and Ian’s company for their very generous donations that has allowed us to develop the building. Vibrant visions for carrying out the decorations, Marker carpets for laying our lovely new floor and Adrian from A J Smith Maintenance for his continued help. A special thank you to Exmoor Feasting for their very kind donation of sausage rolls and quiches which made all our recipients very happy!! Finally, a huge thank you to all our volunteers and drivers who pack the food and deliver the food parcels, without you nothing would happen.

As always, your donations are so important to us. There are a number of ways to make a donation – there are various collection points around the area and we have an app for you to donate. All your donations are gratefully received; given the international situation we believe we are going to see an increase in the number of people who need our help. For more information, please email info@moorlandfoodbank.org.uk

About the Organisation

Moorland Foodbank is a local volunteer-run charity, committed to building food resilience in and serving the residents of the rural communities of Dulverton and Southern Exmoor.

We provide parcels of non-perishable store cupboard basics that are designed to take a little pressure off stretched household budgets in difficult times. We also provide information on how to access local support for a range of issues.

We have recently registered as a charity and are operating from new premises which offer exciting opportunities for the local community, and are keen to maximise on the potential of these new arrangements for the benefit of local residents.

Role Overview

We are seeking a passionate and skilled Charity Development Worker & Grant Application Writer to support our organisation’s growth and sustainability. The role involves identifying funding opportunities, writing compelling grant applications, leading on projects and developing partnerships to strengthen our impact. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, a strong understanding of the charity sector, and experience in fundraising and community stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Grant Writing & Fundraising
• Research and identify relevant grant opportunities from trusts, foundations, and government bodies.
• Write persuasive and tailored funding applications, ensuring alignment with funders’ priorities.
• Track and manage application deadlines, submissions, and reporting requirements.
• Build relationships with funders and maintain accurate records of funding applications.

Charity Development & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support the development of new and existing projects by identifying funding needs and strategic opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with community partners, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Assist in impact reporting and evaluation of funded projects.
• Contribute to the charity’s overall strategy for sustainability and growth.

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage deadlines and work independently.
• Research and analysis skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of community engagement or project development.

Desirable

• Proven experience in writing successful grant applications for charities.
• Strong understanding of the UK charity sector and funding landscape.
• Knowledge of impact measurement and reporting.
• Familiarity with CRM or grant management systems.

Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements (remote/hybrid options).
• Pension contributions, training opportunities, etc.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the local community.

To Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and motivation for applying to: chair@moorlandfoodbank.org.uk

Firstly, a special ‘thank you’ to Jenny Barker for her work in setting the food bank up at the old junior school. It has given us a very solid base on which to develop and improve what we can offer to the community of the southern moor.

We are in the process of completing the transfer of the building to us from Somerset Council; this will give us the stability to move forward into the future and develop our services to the community. In addition, we are working to improve the facilities at the food bank, this includes building a purpose-built storage area for our donations. We are replacing the old gas fired heating system with a WIFI controlled electric heating. To support this, we are going to have WIFI installed and a dehumidifier to improve the environment for our volunteers and users of building.

The trustees are looking to develop the building as a community hub as well as the food bank. With this in mind we have been in discussions with several groups about them using the building for their meetings. We will give more information about these in the future. Please visit our website to find out more about this. If you wish to donate to us there are collection boxes and tins in the café and shop and the Royal Oak in Withypool, in the Royal Oak in Winsford and in Mollie’s Makers in Dulverton. Food can be donated at these points and the Coop in Dulverton.

We are looking at expanding our services and we let you know these developments when we have more information.

Finally, if you are struggling and need help please don’t hesitate to contact us, we are here to help. Contact information can be found on website.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us since January. We now have food donation boxes in Winsford, Withypool, Wheddon Cross and Exford and many more places have given up precious counter space to hold our money donation boxes.

Even some loose change can build up very quickly to grow into a food box so please never think a small donation is a wasted one.

We must have the country’s most generous inhabitants in and around Exmoor. We have had our very first donation through the website itself and individuals have also posted donations through our postbox, handed cash through various outlets including the Vicarage and Exmoor Friends and gathered together in groups to send us much needed cash.

You will find a full list of our benefactors on the About page. For privacy reasons we do not publish the names of private individuals but please be very aware of our appreciation of your generosity.

Food Requests this month

Easter! Of course our priority is to help people in the community with everyday food but equally we feel it is important to add some treats. For this reason our request list starts with chocolate but we have also listed some of the other items of food we most urgently need:

• Easter eggs or treats for Easter
• Tinned hotdogs
• Tinned meat
• Pasta sauces
• Jams/Marmalade/Honey
• Tea
• Coffee
• Squash
• Dog and cat food
• Soap
• Washing powder
• Washing up

Other News

We are hugely excited at recent developments to our premises in Dulverton, The Riverside Centre and hope to be able to give you a full update in May.

John said that without Ali’s work the trustees would not have been able to get this charity up and running so quickly. They wished ‘her every success in the future’ and are so thankful she was on hand to help them.

Joyce Merchant and Sandra Wilson are seen presenting a cheque to John Preston, Chair of the Trustees. Also in the picture are Ian Matthews, Roz Matthews, Alison Crisp, Hugh Forster and Frances Nicholson.

Joyce said it was wonderful that the money was going to such a fantastic charity that helps so many people on Exmoor.

John Preston said thanks to the fantastic work of Jenny Barker and her team in starting the food bank it has hit the ground running and their fantastic volunteers are helping more people than ever.

The food bank now has donation collection tins in The Coop, Woods and the Carnarvon Stores in Brushford. If you would like to give please do so at any of these places. Every little helps.

Jenny Barker finished her volunteer co-ordinator role at the end of December, having given a huge amount of time and been fully brilliant for the last few years.

Allison Crisp is ably replacing Jenny, with helpful support from Roz Matthews. New volunteers joined the existing team so that food parcel deliveries could continue seamlessly from the new premises at the Riverside Centre.

Meanwhile, lots of work has been going in the background to ensure a future for this important project…
Eight new proactive trustees have formed a board and registered the organisation as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation with the Charity Commission, in record time! Responsibility for the Food Bank has now transferred from All Saints’ Parish Church to the new trustee board.

As with any such transition, there has been lots to get on with, including the business of risk assessment and related actions, insurance, new policies/procedures, new bank account, applying for funding, electrical and gas inspections, utilities, recycling arrangements, safeguarding training, reference checking and much more. But without exception, everyone involved has done their bit with enthusiasm and positivity, so the future looks bright.

We are looking for ways to increase the number of food donation points around the villages. If you can help with this, please get in touch. We welcome any unopened, non-perishable food items; please note that we currently have plenty of pasta and rice.

The new premises is proving a very useful space and provides exciting opportunities for the community as things progress. Of course, any development will come at a cost, so if you can help financially, we would be very pleased to hear from you.

Watch this space for future updates.