06/09/2026
Hi, John Finnegan here, Director of Margate Independent Foodbank and MiCommunity Shops Thanet.
I am responding to a post on the Cliftonville page.
About a month ago, I was approached by two ladies who wanted to open a clothes bank and white-goods shop in Cliftonville—something we had also been considering.
During that meeting, it came to light that they had asked Maya for help raising funds.
I explained that, provided the project remained a clothes bank and white-goods shop, we would support it.
A free food shop, however, is a different matter.
We have operated Margate Independent Foodbank since July 2020. We continue to provide free food parcels to people referred to us by Social Services, Porchlight, Thanet District Council and the Jobcentre. We have done this without financial support from either national or local government for the past two years.
We changed how our community shops operate by opening them to the wider community. It is not only people receiving benefits who are struggling; many working families are also finding things difficult.
We therefore try to keep our prices affordable while supporting the whole community.
We have supported 101 for more than three years and will continue to do so.
Free food should always be available when somebody genuinely needs urgent help. However, continually relying on free food is not a sustainable long-term solution for individuals or the community. Our aim should be to provide immediate support while also helping people move towards greater stability and independence.
If Thanet District Council has awarded the project £10,000, I wish them well. I would simply ask the council not to overlook the many other local organisations that have been serving and supporting the community for years.
John Finnegan
Director
Margate Independent Foodbank and MiCommunity Shops Thanet
