Stability is built collectively and it's built over time

​When our CEO, Sam Gilchrist, was awarded The Honorary Steward and Bailiff of Hexham by Hexham Town Council at this year’s Mayor’s Celebration of Volunteering & Community Leadership, she spoke about the community that makes this work possible. 

​She spoke about the person who adds a tin to their shopping every single week. About a five-year-old who set up a lemonade stall to raise money. About churches, community groups and local businesses who consistently host collection points, donate, fundraise and offer practical help. Nothing we do stands alone.

Sam Gilchrist, CEO of West Northumberland Food Bank, accepts The Honorary Steward and Bailiff of Hexham Award.

Building something that lasts 

​For the past 12 years, Sam’s focus has been on building something that lasts. Something trusted. Something and people can rely on when things feel uncertain. That steadiness matters. 

In the last 12 months alone, we have supported more than 1,500 people across West Northumberland — from Hexham to as far north as Kielder and Byrness. In a region often described as affluent, there are still pockets of real hardship. Rising costs, rural isolation, insecure work and unexpected life events all contribute to people finding themselves in difficult situations. 

We cannot solve poverty. But we can meet people where they are, and we can do that consistently. 

​Stability Breeds Stability 

We are a core team of seven staff, supported by around 70 volunteers. That balance is deliberate. It allows us to remain rooted in community while also strengthening how we work. 

Over the past year, we have streamlined our services and embedded our Outreach Pilot into our core offer, ensuring support goes beyond the food parcel and focuses on longer-term stability. Because crisis support on its own is not enough. 

If someone is to move out of instability, the support around them has to be stable too. 

That stability comes from: 

• Volunteers who turn up week after week 
• Donors who give regularly 
• Businesses who choose to partner with us 
• Churches and community groups who offer space and support 
• Individuals who understand that while many are thriving, some are not 

Community care is not abstract. It is practical. It is consistent. It is built over time 

It's the team, volunteers and community who make out work possible.

​Collective Recognition 

​While the award was presented to Sam, it reflects something much wider. 

It reflects 12 years of leadership committed to building something steady, the hundreds of volunteers who have given their time over the years, as well as thousands of individual acts of support. Most of all, it reflects a community that continues to look out for one another. 

You can watch Sam’s acceptance speech below, kindly filmed by Hexham TV. 

If you’d like to understand more about how our work has evolved over the past year, including the development of our Outreach programme, you can read our Year 12 Impact Report. The need for our services is not disappearing. But neither is this community’s willingness to respond. And that is something worth building on. 

Download Full Report