ONE of the founders of the Bridgwater foodbank was recognised for his community contributions recently when he was awarded the Bridgwater Cup.

Keith Barnard was presented with the cup by Mayor of Bridgwater Cllr Steve Austen during a ceremony attended by friends and family.

Mr Barnard said he was touched to even have been nominated.

Keith was awarded the cup after years of working to help those less fortunate than himself in Bridgwater.

The 74-year-old took it on himself to set up the Bridgwater foodbank in 2012 as well as working hard to save the St George’s Newton Hall.

He said: “I’ve always tried to help those that aren’t as lucky as me. It’s how it should be.

“With the foodbank, I just thought there should be one in Bridgwater. Taunton had one, Burn-ham had one but there wasn’t one here and so we started one.

“We were lucky enough to be able to use the old Enterprise Centre in Northgate and had eight tonnes of shelving donated – which I moved myself.”

 

Bridgwater Mercury:

The Bridgwater Cup, awarded by the town council each year for services to the community.

 

Keith was then instrumental in finding the food bank’s new site at Mount Street and once again worked tirelessly helping to move food and shelving to ensure that the service was up and running again as soon as possible.

“It’s important that we’re there to help people who need it. Things can change so quickly in life and you never know when you might end up on hard times.”

He continues to work closely with local shops and supermarkets and securing donations from the churches, schools and the public. T

he Bridgwater Cup is awarded annually by Bridgwater Town Council for significant contribution to the town and the lives of its residents.

The cup itself is usually kept on display in the Blake Museum.