The awesome organisation of Mark Perryman and the Lewes Labour Party has resulted in all records being broken at this year’s Christmas Foodbank Collection. As usual, there was an all-day rota of collectors outside Tesco, Aldi and Waitrose. Bonfire societies, sports clubs choirs, political parties, yoga groups, panto casts and hundreds more willing individuals all joined in.
They collected in one-hour shifts, holding placards asking for Christmas specials as well as the basic supplies. Boxes of chocolates, Christmas puddings, cakes and savoury snacks were as necessary as baked beans, pasta or cereals.
They stayed unremittingly cheerful despite placards and collection sheets turning to papier mâché in the afternoon rain. The people of Lewes, as ever, rose to the occasion and gave spectacularly and not just because humbugs were given out in return for their generosity.
The message according to Mark was not ‘Bah! Humbug! … but humbug resoundingly banished with 7,736 items of food and household goods given. Mark is passionate that no household in this town nor in Ringmer, Newhaven or Seaford, will be worrying about not having enough food as Christmas approaches.
