Champion of the Week
Jacqueline DeVeaux, Communications, Engagement and Funding Manager at Chesterfield Foodbank
I’m Jacqueline DeVeaux, Communications, Engagement and Funding Manager at Chesterfield Foodbank.
We support people across Chesterfield and surrounding areas who are experiencing financial crisis, providing emergency food alongside compassionate support, signposting and practical help to address the underlying causes of hardship, to help improve stability and reduce the need for the foodbank.
What is your organisation looking forward to? How are you set to evolve?
We’re looking forward to strengthening our role within the local community and building deeper partnerships through the Chesterfield Champions network. A key part of this is developing our Support Hub model, which focuses on early intervention so fewer people reach crisis point, and more people can access the right help at the right time.
Alongside this, we’ve launched our corporate sponsorship scheme, A Year’s Supply, which gives businesses a clear and practical way to support our work by sponsoring essential food items for a full year as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. We’re delighted that local companies, including Holdsworth Foods, Electrosteel and Peak Energy, have already committed to the scheme, and we look forward to growing this initiative further.
We are also working towards relocating our warehouse to help reduce our annual running costs and strengthen our long-term sustainability. We’re grateful to our landlord, Peppermint Grove Commercial Properties, for introducing us to Destination Chesterfield and for their ongoing support with this move, and we look forward to continuing to work together as our services develop.
What makes Chesterfield and North Derbyshire a good place to work?
There is a genuine sense of community here. People care, collaborate and step forward to support one another. That makes a huge difference to organisations like ours, where partnerships and local relationships are at the heart of everything we do.
What sparked your decision to invest in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire and why?
Chesterfield Foodbank exists because of the needs within the community, but also because of the strength of local people and organisations who care deeply and take action. The way businesses, volunteers and partners come together makes it a place where meaningful impact is possible.
How are you supporting our communities and improving quality of life?
Last year we supported around 10,000 local people with emergency food, but our work goes far beyond that. We provide a warm, dignified space, offer tailored support, and connect people to specialist services. This work is made possible by 128 dedicated volunteers supporting our warehouse and six foodbank sessions each week, alongside 20 local organisations who provide face-to-face support through our Guest Agency rota. Through initiatives like A Year’s Supply, we are also offering businesses the opportunity to play a direct and visible role in supporting families facing hardship, helping us sustain both emergency provision and longer-term support.
What does being a Chesterfield Champion mean to your organisation?
Being a Chesterfield Champion means being part of something bigger. It’s about collaboration, shared responsibility and pride in our town. It allows us to build meaningful partnerships with businesses that want to make a difference, while also raising awareness of the realities many people in our community face.
How would you describe Chesterfield and North Derbyshire in three words?
Supportive, resilient, proud.
What is your vision for Chesterfield and North Derbyshire in 2030?
We would love to see a community where fewer people need emergency food because the root causes of poverty are being addressed earlier and more effectively. Achieving this will require continued collaboration between charities, businesses and public services, alongside investment in prevention, opportunity and support systems that help people thrive.
Chesterfield Foodbank is one of over 200 Chesterfield organisations that are proud to support the local economy, working closely with Destination Chesterfield to showcase Chesterfield and North Derbyshire as a destination to live, work, visit and invest.
Find out more about our Champions network.
