13/10/2026
💔 WITH A HEAVY HEART, WE HAVE NEARLY ENCOUNTERED OUR FIRST POTENTIAL SCAM.
At Feeding Families Barnsley, we always try to approach every situation with compassion, understanding and an open heart. However, today has been a reminder of exactly why we have safeguarding procedures in place and why we fact-check every request before offering support.
This wasn’t simply a request for a food parcel. The request involved a significant amount of support and resources, including:
📦 The items requested included:
• Underwear
• Socks
• Leggings
• Tops
• General clothing in sizes 10–12
• Shoes in sizes 5–6
• A coat
• A hairbrush
• Toiletries
• Headphones
• Art and craft supplies to keep occupied whilst staying in a hostel
• Food and grocery support
• Pet food for one dog, one hamster and four cats
• Birthday assistance
Every single one of these items costs money, takes time to source or relies on the generosity of people who donate to help others.
Thankfully, we picked up on inconsistencies before providing any support. We took the time to fact-check the information and speak with other professionals involved, which helped us identify concerns before committing any of our resources.
Luckily, on this occasion, we caught things before anything was given out.
But this is exactly why we have these procedures in place. We work alongside other organisations and professionals because, when resources are already stretched, we need to establish what support has been requested, what has already been provided and whether the information we have been given is consistent.
We are a small organisation. We don’t have endless funding, unlimited stock or a warehouse full of donations. Every item we provide comes from resources that could otherwise help another family who is waiting for support.
Imagine if we had supplied all these items without checking, only to discover afterwards that there were inconsistencies. Those resources would have been gone, and another family who genuinely needed them might have missed out.
It is heartbreaking to feel that services built on kindness, compassion and the desire to help people can potentially be taken advantage of. We put so much of ourselves into supporting families and individuals who are struggling, often using our own money and giving up our own time to make a difference.
Please understand that our checks are not about judging people, assuming the worst or making life harder for those who need help. They are about protecting our service, our donors and the people who genuinely rely on us.
We will always do our best to help people in difficult circumstances, but we also have a responsibility to be fair, accountable and careful with the limited resources we have.
We are grateful that we checked everything before proceeding, and we will continue working with other professionals and organisations to ensure support reaches those who need it most.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Feeding Families Barnsley. Every donation, every share and every bit of trust means so much to us. ❤️
Kindness will always be at the heart of what we do, but protecting the families who depend on us must come first. ❤️
Please remember that we will not publicly share private information about individuals. Our priority is protecting our service and ensuring our resources are used responsibly.
