Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, has thanked volunteers who run Community Pet Food Bank project in Burbage for their “dedication to supporting people and pets across our community.”

Michelle, Mark and Natalie Richardson from Burbage, spotted a gap in the local area of support for people and families with pets amid cost of living pressures. They collectively set about working to support people across Burbage and Hinckley, and the Community Pet Food Bank has gathered pace ever since.

The GP-turned-MP visited the project, which started in July 2022 from the family’s home and has since grown to provide over 24,000 meals in 2023, including 14,659 meals for dogs, 9,341 meals for cats and hundreds of treats, dog leads, collars, harnesses and three dog beds.

Over the past two years, the Community Pet Food Bank have established connections with local businesses and have received donations from Tesco in Hinckley, Leicester Animal Aid and local RSPCA branches.

They provide dog and cat food to food banks in Hinckley, Burbage, Earl Shilton and Barwell, which operate on a referral or voucher system from Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Citizens Advice or social services.

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Bosworth, said “I’m grateful to Michelle, Natalie and Mark for inviting me to visit the Community Pet Food Bank in Burbage recently to discuss how the support they have offered to pet owners in our area since they began in July 2022. They have done incredible work supporting animals locally, and I know many residents are immensely grateful.

“Thanks to the generous support of local people, businesses and charities, like Leicester Animal Aid, the Community Pet Food Bank was able to provide over 24,000 meals last year.

“If you or a loved one are struggling to feed your pets please do get in contact with the team, or you can email me at [email protected] and I can direct you to the support which is available.”

Michelle Richardson, who runs the Community Pet Food Bank with her husband Mark and daughter Natalie, said “We had an amazing visit from our local MP.

“We were honoured and privileged to show him how the Pet Food Bank works with rebagging big bags into small bags to make the food go further, how we keep records of every collection or delivery so we can keep track of the pet meals going out, the connections we have with local and national companies that help us with donations.

“And how the donations outgrew the spare bedroom and have now outgrown the shed so we are fundraising and on the lookout for a local unit. We even had a donation arrive while Dr Luke was here!”

Michelle went on to add “If you or anyone you know are struggling with the current cost of pet food please reach out to us. We can help with an emergency pack to see you through for a week or two.

“Please share our details and Facebook page, as the more people we can reach the more people we can help.”

People can contact the Community Pet Food Bank by emailing [email protected].