A Paisley gym’s generous donation has been described as “outstanding” by Renfrewshire Foodbank as the lifeline organisation outlined a hike in demand.
Pro-Life Fitness Centre handed over a staggering £15,000 to the charity before Christmas in a bid to support people throughout the festive period.
The money was raised by the gym – which is also a charity – through fundraisers and profits made at the facility.
Run by the Renfrewshire Sports Charity, Pro-Life is a non-profit organisation that invests money straight back into the gym or uses it to help other community organisations throughout Paisley and the wider area.
Robert McEwan, head of operations at the gym, had his eyes opened when he visited one of Renfrewshire Foodbank’s warehouses. The fitness guru admitted that seeing the detail of the operation in action blew him away.
“A lot of people can be quite naive about the scale of work that goes into a charity,” Robert told the Paisley Daily Express. “These donations and money given to somewhere like Renfrewshire Foodbank just go into the place and that’s that.
“But you have people in the vans who go out and do the work, people sorting items into the boxes and then also working out where needs what.
“There is a lot of cost involved and it is not just a case of they hand food over to people. We really understand that money goes a long way in this sector.”
The number of people turning to food banks ahead of Christmas was higher than last year with over 11,000 parcels distributed to those who needed them most. This was a rise of 1,000 compared to the 2023 festive period.
Crystal Clayton, manager at Renfrewshire Foodbank, says the figures speak for themselves when you see the increase in parcels handed out.
Last January, the organisation moved into a bigger warehouse – something Crystal said at the time was “not to be celebrated”.
Reflecting on the busy festive period and the work the food bank does, she feels it can be difficult to do what is required with such a small team.
“The donation is outstanding,” Crystal said of Pro-Life Fitness Centre’s generosity, “and it is phenomenal to have that community-minded support for the food bank.
“Having to move into a new warehouse last January just to keep up with the demand shows the situation.
“I said at the time, and I will say it again, the move was not something that was to be celebrated. I wish we didn’t have to grow more and we should really be getting smaller. The festive period is so busy for us and the donation took a lot of pressure off us.
“At the end of the day, we are a small charity with few staff members and volunteers. So, having a bit of financial reprieve is phenomenal. I can’t thank them enough for their generosity.”
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