GMB Northants News - GMB Northants Community Branch

Food Bank report

21/12/2025

GMB: Advocating for Economic Justice and Community Welfare

As our membership will be aware from monthly branch meetings and financial reports, our branch maintains a sustained commitment to supporting charitable organizations throughout Northamptonshire.

This Christmas, we have given them all a one-off payment of £100 to help with the valuable work they are doing. The majority of our contributions are directed toward food banks, and we have recently requested comprehensive reports from these organizations regarding their operational challenges and community impact. Unfortunately, some are better than others at reporting back.

This updated report, once again, highlights the indispensable work undertaken by volunteer teams who are witnessing first hand the alarming escalation in food parcel dependency and the inability of families to afford basic necessities in 2025.

Irthlingborough Foodbank

10/3/2025

GMB Northants is proud to be supporting local foodbanks with quarterly donations. The branch recently included Irthlingborough Foodbank, located at the Salvation Army Citadel, on Spinney Road, Irthlingborough, NN9 5RT

Our Branch President Jackie Grover recently paid them a visit to meet some of the wonderful volunteers and say hello.

The Irthlingborough foodbank opens alternate Thursdays and Fridays for local people in need of support. Find out more on their website or Facebook Group.

GMB FIGHTING FOR A BETTER FUTURE

29/8/2023

As many of our members will be aware from attending our monthly meetings and listening to reports on how we spend branch funds, supporting local charitable organizations across Northamptonshire.

Most of our support goes towards food banks and more recently we have been asking them to report on the demanding work they are engaged with in their local communities.

This report reflects some of that unstinting work from their teams of volunteers who are witnessing first-hand the rise in dependency on food parcels and personal items that families simply can’t afford to buy.

Corby and Kettering Foodbanks

29/3/2022

On the 25th March, 2022, Rachelle Wilkins (Full-time GMB Officer) and myself visited two of the foodbanks: Corby Food Bank and KCU Kettering Foodbank, that the branch support, with further donations totalling £760

Donations for for Afghan refugees and Corby Foodbank

31/8/2021

Volunteers from the Corby Town Councillors will be collecting donations for Afghan refugees and Corby Foodbank on Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September from 11 am to 2 pm.

All items donated will be distributed to local refugee charities and to Corby Trussell Foodbank.

Items can be dropped off at DDW Catering, 61 Occupation Road, Corby between the hours listed above (please do not drop off donations outside of the advertised hours).

SUMMARY OF BRANCH MEETING 290317

18/4/2017

Here are the Summary minutes of the GMB Northants Community Branch Meeting which took place on the 29th March 2017 in Corby

You can download a PDF copy of the Summary Minutes here

GMB Northants Featured in Members Magazine

21/7/2016

GMB Northants Community Branch is delighted to have two features in the latest issue of Midlands and East Coast Region Members magazine - 'Contact'

The Branch members cakes sale for Corby Foodbank and the branch's subsequent decision to sponsor Foodbanks in Northamptonshire was featured along with the branch's sponsorship of Kingswood u11s football team.

Click here to read the Contact magazine we are on page 30

Summary of March 2016 GMB Northants Branch Meeting

20/4/2016

GMB Northants Community Branch
Secretary: Gordon Glassford, Corby, Northants, NN17 2LL
Phone: 07792208229
Email: [email protected]
www.gmbnorthants.org

Summary of the branch meeting held on 30.03.16

Nomination of Officers _: President: Jackie Grover, Secretary: Gordon Glassford, Equality Officer: Martin Reuby, Branch Committee: Fergus Farrell, Lily Lowe, David Swan, Rajco Loncar, Adrian Grover, Auditors: Rajco Loncar, Alec Mason. There were no nominations for Youth Officer. An appeal will go on the website. Further nominations will take place at the April and May meetings. There will be an election at the June meeting as per rule.

The secretary had proved his popularity in the region by coming bottom of the poll for regional delegates to congress. Jackie had not been elected for congress by the regional committee under the 10% appointment rule. Although this is of no great concern to the branch it does make it particularly difficult to get any motions accepted for debate.

Progress has been slow with the organisation of the Workers Memorial Day commemoration. We have got Tom Beattie leader of Corby Borough Council and Lee Barron Midlands TUC regional secretary as speakers. Martyn said he might be able to help. There has been no response from Youth Brass 2000 about playing at the event which we didn’t feel was acceptable considering the amount the branch has given them over the last few years. Instead we will be entertained by Gordons (not the secretary) Volunteer Band.

We will increase the donation to the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund. We have received substantial donations from Regional GMB and a local branch of UNITE.

There is to be a demo on Saturday April 2nd in Corby Town Centre in support of Pen Green Sure Start Centre which is facing cuts to its budget. The details will go on the website.

We are still financially healthy. Quarterly standing orders have been set up for seven foodbanks in Northants. Adrian will send the secretary contact details for the Irthlingborough foodbank.

Jackie talked about the decision by the government to make all schools academies no matter how successful the schools are. This is a direct attack on local democracy and is intended to undermine and privatise public services especially education, the NHS and local government.

Traffic is continuing to improve on the website and Adrian is always looking to find items to go on it and make it more interesting. The latest item was on the NHS and the negative impact TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) will have on it. 26% of members had opened the summary of February’s meeting that Adrian had sent out, apparently this is quite good.

Lily reported that the OECD had rated the UK 32 out of 34 countries regarding pensions. It was agreed that we re-affiliate to the National Pensioners Convention and that she attend the Pensioners Parliament in Blackpool. It was agreed that we pay her expenses.

There is to be a meeting in April between Kier and Corby Council over Kiers contract with a decision to be made in June. It is unclear at the moment what the councils position is but the feeling is that Kier will be allowed to take up the option of a two year extension.

The meeting closed at 8.15pm. The next meeting will be on April 27th.

Download and print these minutes here

summary_300316.pdf
File Size:	245 kb
File Type:	pdf

GMB Northants Community Branch Supports Foodbanks in Northamptonshire

12/4/2016

GMB Members in Corby organised a Cake Sale to raise funds for Corby Foodbank in February and GMB Northants presented a donation of £200.

In the photo are GMB members Julia Bailey and Deborah Foley present the cheque to Corby Food Bank manager Frank Gibson. Also in the picture event organiser Marianne Beasley and Corby Mayor Peter McEwan

Following the event the branch agreed that Foodbanks were an important community service and that GMB Northants would support other Foodbanks in Northants including Kettering St. Judes, Daventry, Restore Northampton, Wellingborough, Spencer Northampton, Corby, Towcester and Irthlingborough Foodbanks on an ongoing basis.