Poole Food Bank volunteer to climb Kilimanjaro for charity

Josh Mitchell will be taking on the challenge in September, after volunteering at the food bank for nine months.

Josh began volunteering at the food bank after he went in to donate.

“My daughter got too many Easter eggs and it was her idea to donate them to a food bank,” he said.

“I went down there and got speaking to one of the managers, and they said they were light on volunteers.

“Demand was growing, so I said I would happily volunteer every Tuesday to do the collections from the supermarkets, delivery to the main warehouse where it then gets sorted.”

Demand has grown by 77 per cent since Josh began volunteering, and it has become apparent the food bank needed a bigger van to meet demand.

“The van that we’ve got, it’s too small, it can’t deal with the demand,” Josh said.

“It can’t get the food from the warehouse to the distribution centres quick enough. It’s just not practical.

“The money is being used to purchase a new van, and if there is any surplus then it is to help with our own increased overheads.

“Our overheads are going up, to pay for our warehouse which is in the centre of Poole, there’s lots of things the money can be used for.”

Gill Payne, manager at Poole Food Bank, said that Josh’s efforts are “absolutely amazing.”

“He totally gets what we’re doing, and he’s got a real heart for it and a heart for us and everything we’re trying to do,” she said.

“He’s got more and more involved, even though he runs his own business, he gives up half a day a week. He is super special as a driver.”

Josh said he had never attempted something like climbing Kilimanjaro and volunteering at the food bank has been eye-opening.

“I come from a very privileged background, this is way out of my comfort zone,” he said.

“I’m 31 years old, I’m pretty healthy and fit, it’s still going to be a mental challenge.”

To donate to Josh’s challenge, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/joshua-mitchell-2