The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
The shame of Christmas
As an increasing number of poverty-stricken families turn to foodbanks to put a meal on the table over the festive period, Michael Alexander speaks to foodbank volunteers in Tayside and Fife
According to foodbank charity the Trussell Trust, there was a 48% increase in the number of low-income Scots coming through their doors in December compared with the rest of the year.
In its first survey into the non-food items distributed by foodbanks in Scotland, the charity found that 90% of its foodbanks were now giving out nappies, feminine hygiene products, soap and shower gel, as well as toothpaste, on top of emergency food aid.
Last Saturday Dundee Foodbank, in association with independent foodbank Taught By Muhammad, collected more than 625 kg of food donations from football fans ahead of the game between Dundee United and Livingston at Tannadice – and foodbanks were busy again on Wednesday, after a couple of days being closed.
Michael Calder, stock coordinator of Dundee Foodbank, said: “This year we face the added pressure of Universal Credit – since the new system kicked in last month, Dundee Foodbank has seen a marked increase in referrals, putting great demand on our stock levels.”
Taught By Muhammad – an outreach project aimed at building understanding between Muslims and the wider Dundee community – has also reported an increase in demand over Christmas.
Its foodbank started in January 2014 with a group of volunteers committed to filling in gaps that exist with emergency food provision.
Working in consultation with agencies, operations manager Rizwan Rafik confirmed that demand doubled to around 160 families per month over the festive period – targeting households who may not be able to make the journey to their nearest foodbank or those who may be too embarrassed to admit the situation they are in.
He said: “We are really busy with the amount of referrals over Christmas. It’s a mix of financial pressures but also at this time of year people have higher heating bills and many struggle.
“Many people have to choose between heating and eating. It’s great to see everyone working together regardless of their faith, background and race to help those in need within our community.”
East Neuk Foodbank, which is also dependent on local donations, is run independently at Anstruther parish church in Fife. Since being established in April 2013, it has given out more than 4,900 food bags containing staples such as tinned meat, pasta and cereal – and will give out sanitary and other hygiene products on demand.
Part-time project coordinator Richard Wemyss, who has worked in the charity sector for more than 30 years, expects the impact of Universal Credit to be felt in the new year and believes demand will rise then.
“Rural poverty and isolation is a massive issue in the East Neuk, which I think is often overlooked,” he said. “People presume it’s a well-off area but there’s no big employer, the fishing industry is all but gone, so the potential for peoples’ lives spiralling downhill is huge.
“Interestingly, the largest numbers of people using our foodbank now are aged over 45, with an even split between male and female. Often, it’s because they’ve fallen on hard times through the break-up of a marriage or being thrown on to the scrapheap of unemployment.”