Foodbank chief fears a second wave of Covid-19

Charity says any spike in cases would spell disaster for struggling families

A Fife foodbank worker fears a second wave of Covid-19 would spell disaster for families already in food poverty.

Dunfermline Foodbank, which is currently looking for new premises, saw demand rocket after lockdown measures were introduced.

Administrator John Thompson said another spike in cases this winter would mean more misery for Fifers already suffering after the end of furlough.

He said: “Before we get to that, we’re looking at October, when furlough stops. There’s an expectation that a lot of companies will pay off, or make redundant, a lot of workers.

“A lot of them will be applying for Universal Credit, and with Universal Credit there’s a five-week wait and it’s a really difficult time for people who have lost their jobs, because that’s five weeks when they struggle to put food on the table.”

Mr Thompson said the foodbank is anticipating an increase in demand “with or without Covid-19”.

He added: “If there is a second wave of Covid-19 after that, people are going to be doubly hit.

“When Covid-19 first arrived, we were three times as busy compared to usual for about the first three weeks, mainly because we were the only agency in the field doing what we were doing.

“But things like pop-up pantries took the pressure off because more people were in the field feeding the 5,000.

“If a lot of the people behind these pop-ups go back to work after August, the pop-up pantries will disappear as well, and we will be left with the majority of the clients.”

The foodbank is currently based at Elgin Industrial Estate in Dunfermline but the warehouse they use has been sold and they will have to vacate it soon.

They are looking for another premises of around 10,000sq ft for free or a peppercorn rent.

Mr Thompson said by allowing the foodbank use of a warehouse, the owners benefit from reduced rates because the organisation is a charity.

“We save the owners a considerable amount of money and the owner can still have the warehouse up for sale. If and when they sell, we move on. I think we’ve moved three times in the past five years.”

The charity is looking for premises with easy vehicle access and good parking, and suitable for storing food. It has to be wind and water-tight, and have not been used for an industrial purpose.

“The ultimate aim of any foodbank is to close down because if we close down that means everything is alright in the world and there is very little or no food poverty.”

Picture: Mhairi Edwards.