Mayor joins young cadets at Asda store to support the Boston Food Bank

The Lister Way supermarket hosted the ‘collections drive’ on Saturday, December 3 – with customers and colleagues encouraged to donate essential food items and toiletries.

Mayor of Boston, Coun Anne Dorrian, had contacted the store’s community champion, Stephen Bromby, requesting to host a collection drive at the supermarket.

Volunteers from Boston Sea Cadets, Boston Police Cadets and Boston’s Neighbourhood Policing Team supported the food drive to encourage anyone who could afford it, to pick up an extra item while shopping and donate it to the collection trolley.

The cadet groups also helped to raise vital cash for the Food Bank by offering to pack customers’ bags in return for a donation.

Mr Bromby said: “We know that before Christmas, food banks and charities see an increase in demand and this year it is likely to be greater than ever.

"We are extremely proud of the great work we do to help the community around our store and we’re thankful to our generous customers whose help will make a real difference to people in the local area. We maintain a permanent collection point all year round, but on Saturday the food drive created to a big upturn in what will be vital donations."

Coun Dorrian, explained: “Stephen and the team at Asda have been so welcoming, helpful and extremely generous in their support for my chosen charity – Boston Food Bank.

“I have also been supported by the local Police Cadets and Sea Cadets who’ve given up their Saturday morning to help me collect donations of food and money. The most important recognition must go to the people of Boston, because as expected, their generosity and kindness has been enormous.

“It’s days like these that make me fantastically proud of my fellow Bostonians and I know that today’s collection will go a long way to giving some families a happier Christmas.”

Stephen said: ”At Asda, we also make charitable food donations through a back of store donation scheme to local groups, which in 2021 saw Asda stores, depots and offices donate enough surplus food to community projects to make the equivalent of 6.6 million meals.”

He added: “Boston’s Asda store would like to say a huge thank you to all its generous customers and colleagues who made much-needed donations for Boston Food Bank at the collection point.”