COLCHESTER Foodbank will be looking for new premises next year as Tollgate Partnership, which has been leasing the retail unit to the charity free of charge, draws up plans to redevelop the site.

The charity, which operates out of the former site of Office World at Tollgate Retail Park, Stanway, fed more than 15,400 people in 2021.

In the first six months this year, however, the foodbank recorded they had fed more than 9,000 people, with the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on residents struggling to cope with rising energy prices.

With the Tollgate Partnership redeveloping the site, however, the search has begun for Colchester Foodbank to find new premises in 2023.

Chief operating officer of Colchester Foodbank Mike Beckett explained that working with the Tollgate Partnership had been majorly beneficial for the foodbank over the past 18 months, with the organisation waiving both rent and utility bills and allowing the Foodbank to save money.

He said: “Historically, premises have been our most expensive asset [and] Tollgate Partnership has been kind giving us rent free rates to date, but [our focus is that] we need to get through Christmas.

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“We haven’t been given notice yet, but we are looking for premises to either buy or rent – if it’s [a commercial property] the rates are going to be quite high, but with Tollgate Partnership having rented it to us for free, we’ve managed to save money.”

With records showing Colchester Foodbank’s total funds sit at £479,944, it is hoped the charity will be able to buy, rather than rent, a permanent building next year.

“Renting a building is usually 50 to 60 per cent of overall costs of paying the mortgage – it’s a case of finding the right buildings but our trustees haven’t found a slipper that fits the foot.

“We will potentially become homeless if we don’t buy or rent a building next year."

In a statement, directors of Tollgate Partnership Jayne Gee and Daniel Watts said the organisation would allow the Foodbank plenty of time to secure new premises.

A statement read: "Tollgate Partnership Limited are in awe of the work of the Colchester Foodbank charity; we were therefore delighted to be able to provide them with a temporary home when they had to leave their previous base, which they had also outgrown.

"As we were able to offer the building rent free, the trustees will have been able to increase the charity's reserves during this time, which will help them fund new premises.

"As our plans for Tollgate Village are under discussion by Colchester Council, we don't have a firm date when we need the building back, but we have assured the Foodbank team we will give them plenty of time to find their new home."