A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed to the recent delivery of food and to support with cash donations.
Thank you for your support at a time when the need is greater than ever and there has been a continuing drop in donations to Food Banks.
AND NOW FOR THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL! uniting efforts at the Ampleforth Hub and St John’s Easingwold with those of Sue Allen and Jonathan Pomroy of the Ampleforth Benefice, where special collections will be taken in Ampleforth and in the villages of Cawton, Stonegrave, Gilling and Oswaldkirk. We know you will want to give generously and to include Christmas food, goodies and toiletries along with the usual donations of essentials. Let’s do all we can to help bring warmth, kindness and hope to families in need.
According to government figures, about 4.5 million children IN OUR COUNTRY live in poverty. That’s nearly a third.
20 hours ago — In Britain, about 31 percent of children — some 4.5 million — live in poverty,……..
NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. 9th DEC. DEADLINE for Ampleforth Monday Dec. 8th at midday
Donations may always be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church, Ampleforth, at Gilling, and at Oswaldkirk. THANK YOU ALL!
From Trussell recently -
“My name is Ruby and when I fled domestic violence, I had nothing. It was one of the coldest winters. I was living in a hostel and surviving on Universal Credit. The storage heating just ate up money, so I didn’t use it. It meant I couldn’t get warm.
I remember looking at my budget and thinking; I’ll just drink water this week. I know I can survive a few days without food.”
PPS MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of Our Lady and St.Benedit’s for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation, otherwise to David, Eve, Sue, Jonathan
Please remember, every single donation counts and is gratefully received, ……so THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Please give what you can.. and spread the word. The two-child limit supported by our MP on grounds of “fairness” [sic] is exacerbating the hunger problem.
‘’ I want to say a massive thank you to everyone ….. for your very kind donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank. We really value and appreciate your support. Our expenditure is greater than our income, so every bit of support really helps.
Thanks so much to every single person. We are very grateful.
Please remember, every donation counts and is gratefully received, as are all donations made online or by other means direct to the MFB. ……so THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
David and Eve Cragg-James Rose Cottage, Stonegrave, York YO62 4LJ 01653 628755 24th November 2025
Dear MFB Supporters, Our delivery to the depot was lighter this month but was greatly appreciated! Thank you very much to those who could contribute and to those who support the MFB by on-line donations!
This is an extract from Tracey’s e-mail of thanks. Tracey is the manager of the MFB.
‘’Many thanks to everyone …….for your very kind donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank. Our donations have dropped again, so we have to purchase extra food. Our food bill this month was over £6,000. So we really do appreciate your donations. They make a positive difference.
The total food donated was 80.85kg That's amazing, thank you!’’
DATE FOR SEPT. DELIVERY: TUES. 16th. DEADLINE for DONATIONS:- MON 15th SEPT at 12 NOON.
PLEASE HELP ALL YOU CAN!
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. Love and God bless From Eve and David
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of Our Lady and St.,Benedict’s for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation or give them to us directly?
12 September 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear MFB Supporters,
Please see below for the figures and for Tracey’s letter of thanks for all the generous donations to the COMBINED SUMMER HOLIDAY APPEAL which involved all of its usual loyal supporters, as well as those in the villages of Cawton, Gilling, Oswaldkirk and Stonegrave.
Tracey wrote:
‘’ Many thanks to everyone………..for your very generous donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank. We really do appreciate it.
Our donations continue to drop, and we have to spend more money on purchasing food, people give what they can, but times are hard for everyone. Your donations really do make a massive difference to us. So thank you for everything that you do to help us.
The totals are :-
Cheques £100
Food 211.10kg
Cash £ 310.00
Thank you so very much. Please pass on my sincere and humble thanks to everyone ……!’’
NEXT DELIVERY from Ampleforth hub with Easingwold : TUES. 12 AUG.’25 DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: 12 noon MON.11th AUG.’25
Families will be feeling the pressure by this date as children will still be at home for another 3 weeks, so please continue to give generously, especially cereals, long-life milk, long-life fruit juice, cordials and biscuits, treats and snacks.
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. Love and God bless
David and Eve
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation or give them to us directly?
Dear all, A REMINDER - MFB COLLECTION OF DONATIONS COMING UP. I tend to forget the hungry when the weather is fine, Not good……… the weather is not fair if you’re really hungry! D
Please see below Eve’s last letter concerning the summer Foodbank appeal.
Dear MFB Supporters, Our delivery to the depot was lighter in May but the generous donations in cash and cheques made our trip more than worthwhile. Thank you very much!
GOODS: 69.75kg CASH: £160.00 CHEQUES: £66.66
Tracey and the MFB volunteers were again very grateful for your donations and one of them said that we were one of the biggest source of donations.
This is an extract from her e-mail of thanks: ‘We are really grateful for your support. We are still very busy, and donations are still dropping. To date this year, we have fed over 4,000 people.
We hope you will be able to continue to do your best to support the MFB and contribute to the SUMMER HOLIDAY APPEAL which will involve all of its usual loyal supporters, as well, as those in the villages of Cawton, Gilling, Oswaldkirk and Stonegrave, thanks to Peter and Sue Allen.
PLEASE GIVE WHAT YOU CAN AND INCLUDE TREATS AND SUMMER SNACKS, eg CEREAL BARS, BISCUITS, CRISPS and SWEETS!
Exceptionally there will be no delivery in June, so we can use the pause to build up stocks. Please just keep on giving!
NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. 15th JULY ‘25 DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: 12 noon MON.14th JULY ‘25 Special collection arrangements for the Benefice parishes will be communicated in due course. Please start building up donations now. PLEASE HELP ALL YOU CAN!
Donations may be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. Love and God bless From Eve and David
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation or give them to us directly? THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR GREAT GENEROSITY 11/07/2025
Dear MFB Supporters, A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed to the CHRISTMAS APPEAL, viz. all of our supporters in Ampleforth, Oswaldkirk and St John’s, Easingwold, but also, thanks to Peter and Sue Allen, from Stonegrave, Cawton and Gilling and all donors. The response to the Appeal was heart-warming and required 3 cars to take everything up to Middlesbrough! Food:-351.60kg Cash:-£381 Cheque:-£100 A special collection was made from St Ben’s where children carried the goods to the car, including some of their own pre-loved soft toys! Thank you so much, St Ben’s!
This is an extract from Tracey, the manager’s e-mail.. ‘’Thank you so much to everyone …………for your very kind donations to the foodbank. We are really grateful. To date this year we have fed 14,569 people so every donation you make really does make a difference. Thank you so much for your ongoing support to the foodbank, you make a massive difference all year round. Your kindness is humbling.’’
NEXT DELIVERY -TUES. 7th JANUARY with the DEADLINE for DONATIONS- 12 NOON- MON. 6th.
THE PARISH BRING & SHARE EPIPHANY LUNCH takes place on SUN.JAN.5th in ST BENEDICT’S CENTRE. It would be a great opportunity to donate surplus food and Christmas goodies, including toiletries, to the MFB, so please try to bring something extra along, as well as something to share with your fellow-parishioners! There will be a collection point in the hall on that day.
Other donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. THANK YOU ALL! Love and God bless From Eve, David,
WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HOLY CHRISTMAS ! Xx
PPS MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation? 20th December 2024
‘’ I want to say a very big thank you to everyone at the Ampleforth hub for your very kind donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank. Our donations have dropped, and we are feeding more people each week. Our 7 centres are really busy as clients come with a range of different needs. To date this year, we have fed over 12,000 people, we know that coming into winter things will be busier. We couldn't do what we do without the support of you all. So thank you very much.
The totals are: Food 194.25 kg Cheques £410.00 Cash £182.00
Thank you for your ongoing support. I really value and appreciate it. Kind regards Tracey
NEXT DELIVERY from Ampleforth/Easingwold hub: TUES. NOV. 12th DEADLINE for DONATIONS: MON. NOV. 11th, 12 NOON
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church at any time between now and then. The Church is open approximately 10am to 3pm. THANK YOU ALL!
PPS MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. You will be aware of the value to MFB of gift aided contributions, and at no additional cost to the tax payer. If you are able to, please could you hand the form into the office along with your donation? 18th October 2024
JOINT HARVEST FESTIVAL APPEAL
Yet again we’ll be uniting our efforts with those of Peter and Sue Allen this month to fill 2 cars, at least, with donations from Harvest Festival and other collections from Gilling, Oswaldkirk, Cawton and Stonegrave, as well as from the Ampleforth Hub, and St John’s, Easingwold, as always! Please remember, every single donation counts and is gratefully received, …so THANK YOU VERY MUCH! [The MFB is currently having to buy in food at a cost of £3,000 per week.] NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. OCT.15th DEADLINE for DONATIONS: MON. OCT. 14th, 12 NOON Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. THANK YOU ALL! PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. 11th October 2024
DEAR MFB SUPPORTERS, We are again very grateful for all the donations that made our trip to the MFB last week worthwhile.. We took: 120kg of goods, plus £230 in cash and cheques! At a time when the MFB is really challenged to meet the increasing need, every single donation counts and is gratefully received, ……so THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
[The MFB is currently having to buy in food at a cost of £3,000 per week..]
NEXT DELIVERY: TUES. 17th SEPT, DEADLINE for DONATIONS: MON. 16th SEPT. 12 NOON
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. THANK YOU ALL! Love and God bless From Eve and David.
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of church for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation?
23 August 2024 Dear MFB Supporters,Our delivery to the depot was lighter this month but was greatly appreciated! Thank you very much to those who could contribute and to those who support the MFB by on-line donations!
This is an extract from Tracey’s e-mail of thanks. Tracey is the manager of the MFB.
‘’Many thanks to everyone …….for your very kind donations to Middlesbrough Foodbank. Our donations have dropped again, so we have to purchase extra food. Our food bill this month was over £6,000. So we really do appreciate your donations. They make a positive difference.
The total food donated was 80.85kg Thats amazing, thank you!’’
DATE FOR SEPT. DELIVERY: TUES. 16th. DEADLINE for DONATIONS:- MON 15th SEPT at 12 NOON.
PLEASE HELP ALL YOU CAN!
Donations should be left at the back of Our Lady and St Benedict’s Church as always. Love and God bless From Eve and David
PS. MFB GIFT AID forms are now available at the back of Our Lady and St.,Benedict’s for individual donations of cash and cheques. If you are able to, please could you hand them into the office along with your donation or give them to us directly?
