Homebuilders Dandara have made a generous donation of a commercial freezer to the Isle of Man Foodbank.

The charity, which provides food parcels and action plans to help those finding it difficult to afford essential items, will use the freezer to store its food parcels and food items that are collected from supermarkets at the end of each day.

Last year, the Foodbank prepared an average of 340 parcels per month (peaking at 513 in December 2023), and that figure has risen to an average of 400 parcels a month in 2024.

Angela Beresford, marketing manager at Dandara, said: ‘The Foodbank and its volunteers work tirelessly all year-round to support the island’s community and we are full of admiration for the support they provide to those who need it most.

‘It really is a privilege to be able to provide Isle of Man Foodbank with this new freezer and help them spread a little extra festive cheer this Christmas. Their team all over the island truly make a tangible difference.’

Throughout this month, Dandara’s staff have also been running a Christmas collection in the office of non-perishable goods for the Foodbank.

A spokesperson from the Foodbank said: ‘Although our services are required all year round, the timing of Dandara’s donation just before Christmas is excellent because we tend to receive more meat which needs freezing to be used for our Christmas food parcels.

‘Until now, we had been using a second-hand freezer which served us well. However, this larger, commercial freezer is a real bonus and will certainly receive plenty of use as more people in the community need our support.

‘We are incredibly grateful to companies like Dandara that enable us to support people in crisis and can’t thank them enough for their generosity.

‘We work closely with the Salvation Army which carries out such good work, and our joint aim is to ensure no-one in need goes without this Christmas.

‘Thanks to the generosity of local individuals and businesses like Dandara, this really is a true community effort.’