Person in poverty forced to forage for fast food leftovers
A RUNCORN charity has warned that some residents are facing such hardship that someone has even resorted to foraging for fast food leftovers and berries so she can eat.
Four Estates, whose ‘11 Club’ provides free essential and basic items such as groceries, tea and coffee, also warned that the number of families using the service has tripled since its launch last July.
Writing on Facebook, it said the group had given supplies to 48 adults and 15 children on Tuesday, January 23, up from 30 adults and 11 children last week.
The club runs every Tuesday at Halton Brook Community Centre from 11am12.30pm. In addition to dispensing essential supplies to families, the charity also provide free toast to pupils heading to school, reporting it had handed out 93 portions during its first week at the start of January.
The charity’s warning came as east Runcorn MP raised concerns over ‘shocking’ figures published by End Child Poverty yesterday showing rates of child poverty in excess of 40% in parts of his constituency of Weaver Vale including Runcorn.
The data revealed the following rates: Beechwood with 677 children in poverty, 44.38%; Windmill Hill, 279 youngsters, 40.09%; Halton Lea, 669, 40.55%; ● Norton North, 544, 37.66%; Norton South, 715, 36.48%, Daresbury, 112, 10.31%.
Mr Amesbury said: “These shocking figures are yet further proof of the destructive impact of the Government’s failed, ideology-driven austerity agenda that is causing real harm to children in my constituency.
“We’re seeing a rise in foodbanks across the country and hearing shocking stories of schools having to feed children because they’ve had nothing to eat at home.
“It truly beggars belief that the sixth biggest economy in the world can tolerate statistics like this.
Writing on Tuesday, the Four Estates post’s author said: “Our cupboards are bare so any donations would be gratefully received.
“It’s really hard to find something profound yet nonpolitical to say about why people need to access this type of help but the best I can come up with is, what has gone so badly wrong with our system that when a grown woman is so desperate for food she eats berries from bushes and waits in the car parks of KFC and McDonald’s for people to discard their food bags from cars – just so she can see if there’s anything they haven’t eaten?”
Four Estates works in Palacefields, Halton Brook, Murdishaw and Hallwood Park.