The gift of giving
With the UK’s food banks preparing for the busiest time of year, journalist Jackie Brown finds out how we can help…
We all know it’s better to give than to receive and nowhere is this more obvious than in food banks, which will be busier than ever over Christmas.
The Trussell Trust, which has the widest network in the UK, opened its first one 20 years ago and now there are nearly 1,300, offering emergency supplies to people in crisis.
‘Demand has rocketed by 73 per cent in the past five years,’ says chief executive Emma Revie. ‘Last year we handed out 1.6 million food parcels – 500,000 of them to children. Winter months are the hardest when people often have to choose between eating and heating. We are expecting this December to be our busiest Christmas ever.’
I confess, I’d never set foot in a food bank before spending a day with volunteers in Hailsham, East Sussex. Food banks are intended to offer support as well as food, so people are encouraged to have a cup of tea and chat to volunteers.
Every Christmas there’s a decorated tree in the window to spread some festive cheer. It’s when it’s needed most – last year twice as many people asked for help at this time.
The service is run by Julie Coates, who has been involved since 2012. She organises about 60 volunteers of all ages and says there’s no typical food bank user. ‘It is not just certain people, it could be anybody.’
The average number of visits from someone using a food bank is just two per year. Everyone who comes has a voucher given to them by one of its many partners, including Citizens Advice or social services, which entitles them to a food parcel with three days’ worth of food.
‘A few years back nearly half of the vouchers were for single people, mostly men,’ Julie says. ‘ Now it is mostly families needing assistance – often with young children.’
All the food stored is dry and long-lasting – pasta, rice, cereal, tinned meat, fish and tinned fruit. Trussell worked with nutritionists to decide what to offer. There are also other essentials, if needed, including toiletries, sanitary products and nappies. All of the products are donated by local people, largely through collection points at supermarkets, while monetary donations help towards the running costs.
When supplies run low, Julie puts out an appeal on Facebook and donations come tumbling in. ‘The scale of the need is shocking,’ she says.
It’s hard not to be moved by the stories of the people – mostly mothers with young children – who visit while I’m there. Among them is Zoe, 32, who is near the end of her tether. Her husband walked out a month ago and, after weeks of struggling, she has admitted she needs help to feed her children. ‘I am down to my last box of cereal,’ she tells me.
Zoe and her ex-partner both work and relied on tax credits to top up the family income. ‘That money paid for the weekly shop,’ she says. ‘They tell you to let them know of a change in circumstances. When I called to say my partner had left, I was told the payments would be stopped and I would have to make a new claim. I have no idea how long that will take. My parents are pensioners and they can’t help me financially.’
Changes in benefits seem to be the main reason why people end up at a food bank. The long-term aim of the Trussell Trust is to eradicate the need for food banks and they’re currently campaigning to persuade the government to address the problem around benefits.
Donations spike at this time of year. ‘ We have people coming in with trolley loads of shopping,’ says Julie. ‘ We often have donations from people who have been helped by the food bank in the past and want to give back when they are able to.’
I’m shocked by the levels of need, but I also feel humbled by the generosity of those who donate, and the kindness shown by the volunteers who keep them going.
During my next weekly shop, I sought out the collection point in the supermarket for the first time and dropped in pasta, Christmas pudding and cheese straws. I’m looking forward to having those things with my family – it feels right that others should, too.