THE CHARITY that runs Swindon Foodbank today announced it was to cease operations at the end of the month.

Here’s everything you need to know about the story.

What has happened?

Swindon Christian Community Projects announced that it will cease operations on May 31. The charity runs Swindon Foodbank, Men’s Sheds and Renew. It previously managed Swindon Restore, which closed last year after SCCP said it was financially and operationally unsustainable.

Why is SCCP closing?

Bob Hayward, chairman of the trustees at SCCP, blamed three things: “The combined impact of several difficult governance, operational and funding issues to which there is no single or easy answer and even a sudden influx of money would not correct the combined problems that we are experiencing.”

He added: “Over the past 18 months, the trustees have looked at every option to resolve each of the core problems in order to keep the charity open. This included a strategy review in May-June 2017 and a restructure consultation in January-March 2018 both of which involved consultation with staff, and the more recent with volunteers.”

Mr Hayward said that the problems had seen Swindon Foodbank drop out of national foodbank charity the Trussell Trust’s network of foodbanks around the country.

The latest SCCP accounts published on the Charity Commission’s website show that in 2016, the latest year for which information is available, SCCP ended the year £16,000 in profit. That year, the charity spent £255,611, but had £272,766 coming into their accounts.

What is Swindon Foodbank?

Swindon Foodbank is a charity project that gives out emergency three-day food parcels to those in crisis. The service, which has a warehouse in Westlea, has two part-time members of staff and is supported by volunteers.

Last year, Swindon Foodbank gave out more than 5,000 food parcels. Two-thirds of these went to children.

What does SCCP’s closure mean for the Swindon Foodbank?

The truth is that nobody knows for certain.

There is a huge effort to make sure it doesn’t close. SCCP, Swindon Borough Council and the Trussell Trust are all in talks to ensure it stays open.

Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and public safety, said: “We only became aware of this matter today and we are extremely concerned about the recent announcement from Swindon Christian Community Projects.

“We have also, today, been made aware by the Trussell Trust, who own the franchise that both interim and future arrangements are being put in place to ensure the long-term future of a Foodbank in Swindon. We will be offering all the support we can to ensure this important project stays open to the very many people who need it.”

Bob Hayward of SCCP said: “We are currently working with the Trussell Trust to explore short-term interim solutions with churches and partners in the local area to ensure emergency food is still available for local people in crisis while the charity considers the implications of closure and continues to seek viable alternatives.”

Can I still access the foodbank?

Yes, there is no change to distribution centre opening times for the immediate future (until at least May 31).

Full details of distribution centre opening times are available from: swindon.foodbank.org.uk.

Can I still donate food to the foodbank?

Yes. Financial donations should be clearly marked for the Swindon Foodbank.

What are the volunteers saying?

Opinion is mixed. One, who spoke to us anonymously, said: “This will have a huge impact on the people of Swindon. Every week we see new people who've never used the Foodbank before. Those people are now going to have nowhere to turn to.”

Volunteer Julie told the Adver: “We’re determined to carry on to serve the people who are in crisis. We’re hugely grateful for the massive support we’ve always had from the Swindon community.”

What do Swindon Foodbank users say?

One woman, 60, said at a foodbank collection point in Swindon town centre today: “I look after five grandchildren. Sometimes it’s hard. I don’t come here very often. It means I can eat.”

What does the Trussell Trust say?

A spokeswoman said: “The Trussell Trust supports a network of 428 foodbanks across the UK. Each foodbank is an independent charity with their own board of trustees and governance structure, supported by the local community but also supported by us as a national charity, campaigning for change as one national voice and offering practical help to projects on the ground.

“We work alongside foodbanks in our network, undertaking quality assurance visits to ensure projects are run to a high standard. We reserve the right to withdraw membership from our network in line with our internal review processes and following several months of discussions with Swindon Christian Community Projects, a decision has been taken to withdraw membership from the foodbank by the end of May due to issues with governance and management. Our decision to withdraw membership from our network in no way prevents the foodbank from continuing to operate.

“The Trussell Trust will always do everything it can to work with a foodbank when a project's ability to continue supporting local people is at risk, and it is extremely rare for a foodbank in our network to have to cease operating so suddenly. We will be looking to work closely with churches and partners in the local area to ensure short-term emergency support is in place for local people when the foodbank closes, and we will share more details on this when confirmed.”

What do the politicians say?

Robert Buckland, MP for South Swindon, said: “I have been speaking to members of staff at Swindon Foodbank and am hoping to speak directly to the Trussell Trust very shortly to help ensure that local volunteers can continue their important work.”

Kate Linnegar, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate in North Swindon, said: “I’m absolutely shocked. I think that the Tory administration that we have in at the moment locally should move very quickly to investigate the situation and try and stop it. People are literally going to starve.

“It’s their policies nationally that have caused the souring use of foodbanks.”

Coun Jim Grant, leader of the Labour group on Swindon Borough Council, said: “We support the efforts to find ways of keeping the foodbank open.

“There is a wider political and moral debate about the nature of foodbanks, but that is for another time given the immediate prospect of people going hungry.”