Businesses urged to lend support to food banks
In the run-up to what food bank charity the Trussell Trust is warning will be a Christmas and new year of unprecedented high demand for its already over-stretched network of local food banks, staff at Hidden Hearing have come together to donate food for the charity’s winter appeal and are encouraging other businesses to get involved, too.
A total of 1.6 tonnes of essential supplies for emergency food parcels has been donated to the Trussell Trust by Hidden Hearing, a specialist provider of hearing tests and technology with highstreet clinics across Sussex.
Last winter, Trussell Trust food banks supported more than 220,000 children with emergency food and 225,000 people who needed to use a food bank for the first time.
The charity anticipates these numbers will be even higher this year and is expecting to provide over one million emergency food parcels across its food bank network between December 2023 and February 2024 – that’s more than 11,500 parcels every day, on average, or a parcel every eight seconds.
In the South East of England, 68% of all the food parcels provided by the Trussell Trust during the first six months of this financial year were for families with children, and 27,853 people were using a food bank for the first time.
The Trust saw a 9% increase in the number of parcels distributed across the region during the same period compared to last year; and a 157% increase compared to five years ago.
The cost of living crisis is driving increased numbers of people on the lowest incomes to food banks, including those in work, according to the Trust, and more donations are needed to match a year-on-year rise in demand.
Food donation levels have dropped significantly compared to last year, and for many food banks the increase in people needing emergency support is outstripping donations.
Businesses are being encouraged to support the Trussell Trust’s winter appeal before and after Christmas.
It’s an act of giving that can connect staff with the communities they serve, says Richard Boyd, Hidden Hearing’s managing director: “Supporting local people’s health and wellbeing is at the heart of what Hidden Hearing is all about, so helping the Trussell Trust to tackle hunger and hardship in the community is something our staff have really got behind.
"Everyone has enjoyed working together to contribute in a different way. By talking about why we’re supporting the Trust’s winter appeal, we hope we can also help to raise awareness of the essential work food banks are doing across the country, not just in the run-up to Christmas but all year round.”
With drop-off points for donations located in supermarkets across the country and information on the essentials needed at every Trussell Trust food bank accessible online, it’s easy to find out how, where and what to donate.
To find out how to donate food directly to a food bank near you or to make a financial donation so they can buy what they need, visit www. trusselltrust.org