Support Tonnes of Tins appeal to help households in need
Food poverty has been at the forefront of the news ever since it was highlighted by Marcus Rashford during the summer holidays of 2020, and with the cost of living increasing at an alarming rate it’s never far from my mind.
I’m fortunate enough right now to have a job, a partner who also works full-time, a child who’s of school age and we’re able to live comfortably, with military style organisation of childcare outside of school hours with the help of family, friends and our employers.
However, I’m conscious that it would only take one unexpected thing to knock over our house of cards. And I’m certain there are millions of households like ours in the exact same position. An illness, injury or business closing could put a stop to an income stream and mean we could be faced with a choice of which bills to pay and what and how much food to buy.
There are thousands of households facing those decisions daily in Sussex alone, with 83 per cent of adults in the UK reporting an increase of the cost of living in March and inflation predicted to continue to rise throughout the year, food banks are bracing themselves for what could be their busiest time yet.
Between April 1, 2020, and September 1, 2021, Trussell Trust food banks in Sussex alone handed out over 115,000 three-day emergency food packages to households in need.
This doesn’t include any independent food banks, community pantries or food waste organisations, so the figure of those needing to use food bank services, in reality, is much higher.
The vast number of households relying on food banks and food aid providers on a constant basis, and the upcoming summer holidays where those who receive a hot school dinner for their children isn’t available for six weeks, is the driving force behind our food poverty appeal.
V2 Radio, supported by Southern Water, is launching Tonnes of Tins on Monday, where we are inviting the public to buy an extra tin or two on their food shop to donate to the appeal.
We will be then passing on all of the donations to a selection of food banks across the county.
You can find your nearest donation point on the V2 Radio website, as well as a link to a Justgiving page for those of you unable to get to a donation point.