Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Foodbank launched at unis
Students struggling with the cost-of-living crisis can now access emergency food parcels. The University of Kent, which has campuses in Canterbury and Medway, has opened a foodbank offering supplies for those who need it.
It has joined The Food Foundation in launching the Right to
Food University scheme which aims to provide people with the “basic human right” of food. Canterbury Christ Church University and Greenwich University are also part of the project.
Students are being asked to fill out an online form with their student ID, which university they attend, and any dietary restrictions, including vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher and gluten-free, as well as what time and where they can pick up the package.
A spokesman for the university said: “All of us have the right to healthy and affordable food. Being able to eat regular, fresh and nutritious meals each day is fundamental to our health and wellbeing.
“Like others working in this area, we at Kent want to see a world where no one goes hungry, where we develop sustainable food sources for all, and where nutrition is accessible to everyone, wherever they are and whatever their means.
“In adopting this basic human right, we commit ourselves to promote food justice, tackle food poverty and transform our food system so that it operates to advance human health and an environmentally sustainable society.
“Working in partnership with The Food Foundation, the university will adopt measures to protect its students and staff from food insecurity.
“Its Canterbury and Medway campuses will be places where the right to food is realised in practice - in student kitchens, canteens, the university estate, the courses on offer and through research collaborations.” The packages consist of non-perishable and easy to prepare food items, including canned goods, pasta, rice and snacks.