A foodbank has come under fire for announcing its impending closure for the Queen's funeral.
The majority of stores and food chains across the country will be shut on Monday, September 19, as the country pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death last week. People have queued for miles to respectfully visit Queen Elizabeth's coffin ahead of the ceremony on Monday, with a national Bank Holiday also being introduced.
The funeral will begin at 11am with the likes of Sainsbury's, Asda and McDonald's all shutting stores and restaurants up and down the UK for the day. Despite the nationwide closures, one foodbank in Merseyside has caused a stir by confirming that it will be shut for the day.
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The South Sefton Foodbank, which is based St Leonard's Youth and Community Centre in Bootle and run by The Trussell Trust, took to Twitter to announce the planned closure. The tweet said: "With Monday the 19th of September now being a bank holiday all food banks will be closed due to the Queen's funeral. They will all be open as normal from Tuesday the 20th of September."
People were quick to offer their views on the closure, with @withoutyourgrip tweeting: "I will be shaming each and every single food bank I see taking this stance until they reverse course and commit to prioritising the people who truly need it. Shame on whoever made this decision."
@prainnseas wrote: "Let them eat… oh, wait. Nothing."
Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “Food banks in our network run sessions on different days and at different times, and many rely on the unwavering dedication of volunteers. Food banks are best placed to make the right decision for their communities and will ensure everyone who needs support can access it as they do with every bank holiday.
“Food banks often open for longer, or run extra sessions during bank holidays. As each food bank is an independent charity, we’d encourage people who need support to contact their local food bank to check their opening hours.”
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