Meet Richard, our General Manager

In our Meet the Team series we’re getting to know the people behind Wirral Foodbank and the work that happens every day to support people across our community.

We caught up with Richard, who has been part of the Foodbank since 2013, to find out how he first got involved, what his role involves and what keeps him coming back every day.

Richard first joined us as a volunteer before being appointed Foodbank Manager in 2016. Nearly a decade on, he continues to work alongside a committed team who share a simple but important aim: to support people when they are facing crisis, while also helping to address the reasons why they have reached that point.

His journey with Wirral Foodbank began when Revd Roy Cullen, one of the Foodbank’s founding Trustees, visited Richard’s local church and challenged the congregation to think about the growing number of people struggling to afford basic essentials.

“When I retired, I knew I wanted to do something in the community. So often opportunities arise through chance encounters, as was the case with meeting Revd Roy Cullen – the rest, you could say, is history.”

More than just emergency food

Today, Richard's role is about making sure Wirral Foodbank has the resources, people and support in place to deliver its two key objectives: providing emergency food to people in crisis and addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity.

And that means there is a lot more to running a foodbank than food.

Over the last two years, Wirral Foodbank has seen a decline in food and financial donations, while demand for the service has remained high. Richard spends much of his time looking at ways to identify cost savings, secure new sources of funding and build relationships with individual and corporate donors.

Last year, the Foodbank spent just under £100,000 on buying food.

Richard also regularly meets with Wirral Council and key decision makers to make them aware of the challenges facing many of the individuals and families supported by the Foodbank.

But perhaps one of the most important parts of the Foodbank's work, for Richard, is understanding what happens beyond the food parcel.

“A food parcel can provide vital support at a moment when someone has nowhere else to turn. It can put food on the table tonight and give a family some breathing space. But it cannot, on its own, resolve the circumstances that caused someone to need that food in the first place.”

That is why Foodbank Plus is such an important part of the work.

Delivered on our behalf by Citizens Advice, Foodbank Plus gives people the opportunity to talk about what has brought them to the Foodbank. It might be problems with benefits, debt, housing, employment or another issue that has put them under financial pressure.

By understanding what is happening in someone's life, the team can begin to identify the appropriate advice and support. The food provides immediate help; Foodbank Plus starts to look at what can be done to prevent the crisis from happening again.

“For me, that is what the Foodbank is about. It is not simply about handing out food. It is about meeting people with dignity at a difficult point in their lives, listening to their experiences and, wherever possible, helping them find a way forward.”

What has surprised Richard?

When asked what he has learned since joining Wirral Foodbank, Richard says what strikes the team most is the scale of the challenges facing so many people in our community.

“We are privileged to sit alongside people during some of the most difficult moments in their lives, hearing deeply personal stories from those struggling on low incomes, often without any financial safety net when an unexpected bill or emergency arises.”

Over the past 12 months, Wirral Foodbank has provided more than 14,000 emergency food parcels, with 32% going to children.

“Behind every parcel is a person or family facing real hardship.”

It was this understanding that led to the creation of Foodbank Plus in 2020. Since it began, Foodbank Plus has delivered £2.4 million in financial gains for individuals through debt write-offs, new or increased social security payments, and the provision of essential white goods.

For Richard, it is a reminder that while emergency food is essential when someone is in crisis, it can never be the whole solution.

“Emergency food is essential when people are in crisis. But our ambition must always be to make sure that people need it for as short a time as possible.”

The people behind the Foodbank

Of course, Richard isn't doing this alone.

He works alongside Liz Appleby, our Office Manager and Volunteer Co-ordinator; Michael Gavin, our Warehouse Manager; Daniel Perry, our Warehouse Assistant; and Beth Saunders, our Community Organiser and Campaigns Manager.

Alongside the staff team are our trustees and more than 200 volunteers, all playing an important part in making sure Wirral Foodbank can respond when people need us.

For Richard, the people are one of the most rewarding parts of his role.

“I was initially impressed by the practical support the Foodbank offered, but very quickly I realised it was about much more than food. It provided a safe and welcoming environment where people could come not only to receive emergency food, advice and support, but also to have a cup of tea or coffee, talk to someone and, importantly, know that they would be listened to and helped.”

“I was also blown away by the camaraderie among the volunteers. They all shared a genuine desire to support local people in our community, and that spirit has stayed with me throughout my time with the Foodbank.”

Today, more than 200 volunteers give their time to support Wirral Foodbank.

“Their commitment, compassion and generosity make such a difference. It is a real privilege to be part of such an enterprise and to work alongside so many people who care deeply about their community.”

A community that cares

That sense of community is something Richard believes makes Wirral special.

“It really is a case of Wirral people supporting Wirral people.”

From individuals and local businesses to supermarkets, volunteers and Wirral Council, Richard says it is this collective effort that enables the Foodbank to be there for local people when they need it most.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity shown right across Wirral.”

And there have been some important milestones along the way.

For Richard, setting up Foodbank Plus in partnership with Citizens Advice Wirral is one of his proudest achievements and one that he believes has made the biggest difference.

Another was in 2021, when Wirral Foodbank received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, with special recognition for its work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This was a wonderful recognition of our incredible volunteers, without whom we simply could not operate.”

One thing Richard would like people to understand

If Richard could change one thing about the way people think about foodbanks, it would be the idea that foodbanks can solve the problems that lead people to need them.

“They are a symptom of the challenges that many in our community are facing; they cannot be the solution. They are an emergency service. It is only in tackling the root causes that we can begin to make a difference.”

For Richard, the role of the Foodbank is to be there when people need that emergency support, while also helping people access the advice and support they need to move forward.

And finally... a few things you might not know about Richard

Tea or coffee?
Definitely tea. Welsh if possible!!

Something people might be surprised to learn?
I would like to say that I climbed Everest, but those who know me would laugh out loud!! Seriously, I was brought up in a Welsh-speaking family, living on the Wirral, and continue to speak Welsh with my relatives to this day.

And the one thing he couldn't get through the working day without?

The people around me. I’m incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a committed team of staff, volunteers and trustees. Their support, energy and shared commitment to what we do make all the difference, especially on the challenging days.

And perhaps that is the best way to sum up Richard's time at Wirral Foodbank so far.

Behind every food parcel, every donation, every conversation and every piece of advice is a team of people working together to support their community.