Farewell to our founder: CEO Joanne Kondabeka reflects on 13 years at Chichester District Foodbank

Joanne Kondabeka, founder and CEO of Chichester District Foodbank, is stepping down after 13 years of dedicated leadership. She established the food bank in 2011, while leading community initiatives for Chichester Family Church.

“I was aware of people in the local community going hungry and wanted to help by providing food parcels. In 2012, a local church leader told me that The Trussell Trust wanted to establish a food bank in every town and city, so I contacted them, and the church then signed a franchise agreement with them to set up a food bank in Chichester.”

Working alongside volunteers from local churches, including Chichester Cathedral, the food bank gave out 473 emergency food parcels within the first seven months.

“As demand grew, I became aware of widespread food poverty in the district and was shocked when a man walked eight miles from Selsey to access our services in Chichester”.

This led to opening a Selsey centre in September 2013, followed by Petworth and Midhurst in 2014. In April 2014 the food bank became an independent charity and was renamed Chichester District Foodbank.

The food bank now provides emergency food parcels for around 500 people a month. An additional 1,000 kids’ lunch packs are distributed before every summer, Christmas, and Easter school holiday to children who receive free school meals due to low income.

Since 2012, the food bank has given out over 783 tonnes of food donated by the community and now has eight members of staff, six trustees, and over 200 volunteers.

Joanne believes everyone should have enough money to afford the essentials, and that reliance on food banks is unacceptable. She has always upheld a clear anti-poverty vision, aiming to eliminate the need for subsidised food provision.

To achieve this, she has built a team dedicated to helping people move beyond needing the food bank. Alongside distributing food parcels and household essentials, the food bank listens to individuals to address the root causes of their poverty.

They provide support through referring people to organisations who can help with a wide range of issues and have recently commissioned a Citizens Advice Worker to assist with debt, budgeting, benefits, utility bills and other financial challenges. Additionally, they campaign against unfair systems that drive people into poverty and amplify the voices of those with lived experiences.

“Food is only part of the solution. I want to see people supported to overcome the crisis that first brought them to us. I hope for a community where everyone has access to support systems that ensure they never find themselves unable to afford food.”

From December, Joanne will be handing over the reins to Sarah Adams, our current Operations Manager, and would like to thank everyone who has supported Chichester District Foodbank through the years.

“Without support from our local community, we wouldn’t have been able to serve the most vulnerable in our community. Every tin of food, every pound donated, and every minute given in volunteering has made a difference to someone’s life.”

“Thank you to our supporters, staff, and volunteers who have truly made the food bank thrive. Your dedication enables the charity to meet the growing demand across the district.

As I pass over the baton to Sarah, I would like to wish her and the food bank every success in their future endeavours to bring an end to food poverty within Chichester District.”

Sarah Adams said: “It has been an absolute joy and privilege to work with Joanne over the last five years and along with the rest of our team, I am very sad to see her go. In recent years, the level of need has increased drastically across the district, both in towns and rural areas. However, as we develop our services to help tackle the root causes of deprivation, I believe we can make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling and end the need for food banks across the country.

Richard Meredith, Chair of Trustees said: “it has been inspiring to witness the passion Joanne has for the food bank. To understand how it has grown from humble beginnings to go on to feed over 46,000 local people is testament to the work Joanne has dedicated herself to for the last twelve years.

We all wish her every happiness in the next chapter of her life and hope she takes time to reflect to reflect on her immense achievement. We will miss Joanne very much and we all look forward to the future in our new premises under our new CEO, Sarah”.

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