World-renowned health expert to give talk at foodbank meeting

An expert in public health policy is to speak at Kirkcaldy Foodbank’s annual meeting.

Sir Harry Burns is the former chief medical officer for Scotland and now a professor of global public health at Strathclyde University.

He has become known for the work he does addressing health inequalities, particularly in the lives of people and children with social difficulties.

Sir Harry uses evidence to support his argument that adversity in early years can have considerable, biological consequences in later life.

Poverty, hardship and changes in the benefit system in the UK have led to a sharp increase in the use of foodbanks, with Kirkcaldy Foodbank now spending up to £8,000 a month on food for people struggling to survive.

A third of those they help are children.

Chairwoman Joyce Leggate said: “The work he has done in terms of health inequalities and social deprivation show that there is a very real connection between childhood adversity and problems in later life.

“The fact that so many of our clients are children living in poverty should be a great cause for concern for those who make policy decisions in this country.”

Kirkcaldy Foodbank has been running for over five years now, on an entirely voluntary basis, and aims to feed those in the local area who cannot afford to feed themselves.

The meeting is open to anyone interested in attending and will be held on Tuesday March 12 at 7pm in Windmill Community Campus, Windmill Road, Kirkcaldy.

Donations of food and/or cash will be gratefully accepted on the night and given to users of the foodbank.