Switch Up food parcels a ‘lifeline‘ for city families
‘IT’S HARD TO TELL MY KIDS ‘MUMMY HAS NO MONEY’’
A MUM has spoken of her relief after receiving food parcels through the Switch Up fund in Nottingham, saying she struggled to tell her children how hard up for cash the family was.
Switch Up - which was backed by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and organised by Marcellus Baz - has successfully raised over £7,000 and delivered more than 200 food parcels to families in need this Christmas.
Sarah Hos, from Mansfield, is unable to work due to a disability and said the scheme was there for her when she was in need.
“It’s hard to say to my kids that ‘mummy’s got no money,’ children grow so quickly and it’s hard to keep up, it’s expensive,” she said.
“It’s helped me a lot [the food appeal] because we don’t get a lot of money, I’ve been getting food parcels for my son and us.
“I think there should be more support for those with low incomes. Since the universal credit cuts, a lot of people have struggled.
“Food prices have gone right up, I’m spending an extra £30 on food at the moment. I hope the authorities will look and see people are struggling and help them, give them clothes and support for those with little ones.”
She described how grateful the family were for the help.
“I didn’t get food from other food banks before, my son gets support from Switch Up because he has behavioural problems and that’s how I found out but it’s hard to know where you can go, food banks aren’t advertised enough,” she said.
Sarah has said that the most expensive items for her are things like clothes, milk and juice.
“When you’ve got little ones, milk is so expensive but you don’t want them to lack calcium. Fatty foods are cheaper and that’s all some people can afford.”
Marcellus Baz is the man behind the initiative. Mr Baz is the founder and CEO of Switch Up and also runs the Nottingham School of Boxing. He started the urgent fundraising appeal to support vulnerable young people and families this winter.
“When we launched the Switch Up Fund we couldn’t have imagined the incredible response and generosity it has received,” said Mr Baz.
“Thanks to the kindness of countless individuals and organisations, we have been able to support a huge number of families across our city at this important time of year. This has made a real difference to people when they need it the most and demonstrates the special community spirit that exists in Nottingham.
“With many people facing increasingly difficult times, the fund has been there to provide support and hopefully make this Christmas a happier one, so once again a huge thank you to everyone that has been able to support.”
The success of Switch Up comes as Nottingham City Council also detailed the work they are doing to help those in need. They said almost £90,000 has been handed to food banks across Nottingham to support their work over the Christmas and New Year period.
The City Council has allocated £89,000 from the Household Support Fund to help vulnerable residents and families put food on the table.
The fund has already been used in Nottingham to provide food vouchers for children who normally receive free school meals, supermarket vouchers for families and money towards energy bills through the Warm Homes Hub.
Councillor Eunice Campbell-clark, portfolio holder for Leisure, Culture and Schools at Nottingham City Council, said: “We’re delighted to be able to make this donation of nearly £90,000 to support the vital work done by food banks in Nottingham. They sit in the heart of the communities they support.”