Over the past few years, Accelerate Associates has supported our local food bank, run by Stone Community Hub.
On getting to know the Food Bank team a little better, we quickly realised that key crisis times for the food bank are when children are on school holidays; especially over the summer period.
Oh No.
And what a long summer 2020 it has been, with school-aged children at home since March and lots of families out of work or receiving reduced wages whilst on furlough.
Whereas the hub used to request tins and dried goods, needs are so acute that the food hub is now delivering fresh foods, cleaning materials, baby goods and toiletries to families who are really struggling.
So let’s talk about are some real life superheroes!
They are completely invisible and have only really permeated my consciousness as I’ve done my endless walking laps round town during lock down.
I don’t even know their names but I am truly thankful to every one of them.
I’m talking about the people who have been donating throughout lock down (and who probably wear their underpants under their trousers). They are the kindhearted people of Stone who have set up temporary food bank collection points outside their homes around town, the volunteers who sort, pack and deliver supplies to anyone in need. These are genuine superheroes – who are entirely invisible and probably don’t think of themselves as anything special at all.
But they are and now we all know it. They are just very good at pretending to be normal human beings like the rest of us!

Philippa Bevan has over 25 years commercial and public sector experience in marketing, market research and product management spanning the education, laboratory, medical device, technology transfer and packaging industries. Philippa has a BSc (Hons) in Microbiology and Virology and is a Chartered Marketer.