One of the main food banks in High Wycombe are hoping to leave their current unit for ‘something bigger’ by April this year.

The Wycombe Food Hub, which is based in the Chilterns Shopping Centre, is due to leave the near-empty complex by the summer of this year, with members of staff as well as volunteers admitting they were ‘s**t scared’ for the future.

This comes after we reported in November that businesses in the unit will be forced to move elsewhere by May/June 2024, with Primark already confirmed to be moving into the former House of Fraser unit. 

Wycombe Food Hub, however, fears they have no home to go to given the cost of renting out buildings in the town centre.

Chairman of the not-for-profit organisation, Trevor Snaith, who is also a former mayor of the town, said: “We’ve got to find a warehouse offsite or a unit in the town centre.

“If we can’t find that, then the people we’re helping won’t have a place to go.

“We’ve got a free community fridge which feeds 250 people a week, but now, it’s feeding 500 plus a week.

“That’s our challenge so business, please get in touch if you can.

“If you’ve got spare space which we can use for a warehouse that would be great, but we need a retail presence in the town as that’s where our customers come.

“If we secure our base, we’re then able to expand across Buckinghamshire and beyond.

“I would like to get into a new building by April – three months.”

The ex-mayor also revealed that the charity is currently in talks with Bucks Business First to try and find a new location, with spots in the Eden Centre, or just outside the town centre being a possibility.

However, it is the funding that worries those at the Food Hub.

He continued: “We need around 2,000 to 3,000 square feet in terms of retail space, and the same amount for the warehouse.

“It mainly needs to be on one level, which can take in pallets so vans can have space.

“There are places around, it’s just people want a lot of money and we can’t offer that.

“I saw one perfect place but it’s going to cost over £1m – we don’t have anything like that.

“We’re a charity so we need people who are prepared to let us have something at peppercorn rent.”

The charity is also hoping to apply for the National Lottery Funding.