Employees of Cooke Scotland have helped feed families in need this Christmas by launching a national food bank collection in the areas where they live and work.
Dozens of staff across Cooke’s salmon farming operations in Orkney, Shetland, mainland Scotland and northern England came together to support six food banks in different regions around the country.
The Cooke Scotland Food Bank Christmas Collection, a staff-led initiative, supported the following local organisations with bags and boxes full of hundreds of non-perishable food items, tinned goods, household cleaning products, toiletries and pet food.
- Moving On – Mid Argyll (The Food Share Hub)
- YMCA Bellshill & Mossend Food Bank
- Invergordon Food and Pet Bank
- Carlisle Foodbank
- Orkney Foodbank
- Shetland Foodbank
Colin Blair, Managing Director at Cooke Scotland, said: “Our communities are at the heart of everything we do. Food banks are among the many local organisations we regularly support through our Community Benefit Fund every year. And it made logical sense to bring our collective efforts together in each of the areas where we operate to direct help to where it is needed most.
“Many of our colleagues volunteer locally or know first-hand the challenges people are facing during a period where cost of living continues to be a challenge, particularly in remote and fragile communities. Our staff wanted to offer practical support in the form of a collection campaign that helps food banks provide the vital food and essential items to families and individuals during the colder months.”
From left-right; Cooke Scotland staff Nicola Forrester and Murray Spooner; with Chloe Anderson, Bellshill YMCA
Members of staff at Cooke Scotland’s head office in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, donated to the nearby YMCA Bellshill & Mossend Christmas Food Bank Appeal, and also volunteered to help sort and organise donations. Food bank CEO, Ann-Marie McGonigal, said: “We’re really grateful to Cooke Scotland and their staff. Both the donations and the time given have made a real difference. Support like this helps us respond to local need and make sure people feel supported, especially at this time of year.”
David Grieve, Project Manager at Shetland Foodbank, said: “The food donations from Cooke are really appreciated and will allow us to help those in our local community who face a crisis situation this Christmas. Demand on our service is always higher in the colder winter months and every donation allows us to extend a helping hand to those in need here in Shetland.”
A spokesperson for the Orkney Foodbank said: “Your amazing donations have helped us top up our shelves again in what has been our busiest month ever since we started in 2013. We have also been able to make sure everyone referred got a Christmas goodie bag!”
As one of the UK’s largest producers of farmed salmon, Cooke Scotland employs more than 380 people. The food bank initiative builds on Cooke’s ongoing commitment to building stronger communities, supporting local economy and employment in rural areas, working with regional suppliers and investing in the wellbeing of the communities it operates in.
From left-right; Cooke Furnace Hatchery employees Remi Kryszak, Iain Clerk, Robert Wilson and Callum Taylor.
Lead photograph: Michelle Johnson, Cooke Scotland Technical Manager (centre) with staff members of the Shetland Foodbank