A MESSAGE FROM PERTH AND KINROSS FOODBANK
Fans – both home and away – I can’t quite believe it’s that time again: the annual Focus on Foodbanks match. What a quick year it has been.
Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to the club and the board for their unwavering support of Perth and Kinross Foodbank. Without your backing, none of this would be possible. We are deeply grateful and want to express our heartfelt thanks to every single one of you.
The Focus on Foodbanks match is one of our firm favourites on the calendar. Led by the superstar squad that is Saints Fans Supporting Foodbanks, it gives us such an incredible boost — not only through the donations (which are amazing) and the lift it brings to our warehouse, but also for the feeling of connection, solidarity, and togetherness it inspires. Those are the essential ingredients in tackling hunger, hardship, and poverty across Perth and Kinross.
The challenge we face is far too big to take on alone — and knowing we have your support, as loyal Saints fans, keeps us going. It helps us dig deep on tough days and reminds us that things can get better when we stand together.
But let’s be honest — it’s not just about this match. It’s about every home game, when fans bring a bag of our most-needed items on the bus, or pop to the shop before kick-off to pick up a tin or two. It’s about the car boots full of donations, the crates filled to the brim with kindness and compassion, and the countless small acts of generosity that add up to something truly powerful.
Every packet, every tin, every carrier bag makes a difference. They enable us to do what we do best — to make sure everyone is heard, and no one goes hungry.
As we head into the colder months, the reality is that the need in our community continues to grow. So far this year, we’ve seen a 13% rise in demand for our three-day emergency food parcels — and that’s been during what we’d usually call our quieter months. We’ve fed 17% more people than this time last year, and the months ahead look set to be even more challenging.
If current trends continue, we expect to distribute around 2,369 parcels between October and March, requiring at least 24,000kg of stock — roughly the weight of two double-decker buses — and that’s if we manage to keep the increase to just 13%. With the cost of living still hitting families hard, and donations struggling to keep pace, the months ahead will test us. That’s why days like Saturday matter so much. They help us keep our doors open and continue to support those who need it most.
This year has also brought some truly heart-wrenching moments: a GP calling about a child showing signs of hunger; a wee one so hungry they started eating leaves off a plant while waiting for their family’s parcel; a pregnant mum leaving with food and nappies to give her baby the best start she can. These moments remind us that behind every statistic is a person — a neighbour, a colleague, someone standing beside us in the queue, or sitting near us in the stands.
The truth is, it’s about all of us. About community. About family. About being there for each other through struggle and dark days.
So from everyone at Perth and Kinross Foodbank, thank you — for your kindness, your compassion, and your continued belief that together, we can make a difference.
Lori Hughes, Perth & Kinross Foodbank
The fantastic team at Saints Fans Supporting Foodbanks will be accepting donations in front of the Ormond Stand for Perth and Kinross Foodbank and Saints in the Community from 1.30pm-2.45pm on Saturday afternoon.
The list of urgently-needed items is as follows:
Foodstuff: Tinned fruit, longlife puddings, instant meals like cup-a-soup and flavoured instant noodles, longlife UHT milk, sugar, potato mash, biscuits, coffee, tinned fish, jam, honey, chocolate spread, peanut butter and crisps.
Toiletries and kitchen: Washing up liquid, small laundry products, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, shaving foam, men’s deodorant, ladies spray deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes.
To every single person who brings a donation on Saturday, thank you so much.
