Help stop scandal of town’s starving children
STARTLING statistics released by Southport Foodbank have exposed growing levels of need for its services across the north Sefton and Banks area.
The figures, part of an operations review of 2014, reveal that over 41,000 meals were given to those experiencing severe hardship.
The report also discloses that over 15,000 of those were to prevent local children from going hungry.
The news will surprise many who see Southport as one of the region’s most prosperous towns.
Today the Visiter is launching a new campaign – as we urge our readers to do all you can to support Southport Foodbank.
“They are sadly shocking statistics when you stop to consider them,” says the Foodbank’s external relations officer, Greg Myers.
“Since we opened our doors just over 18 months ago we have issued some 57,000 meals to local people struggling just to put food on their plates.
“The real concern is that the last six months of 2014 virtually matched the previous 12 months put together. That’s a huge increase in demand.”
The foodbank is now looking at addressing several key areas to help ease the burden on its services and continue meeting the emergency needs of those in difficulty.
Greg said: “Some people like to say there’s no “real” poverty in the UK but for me if you can’t put food on the table for you or your children then something is going wrong horribly somewhere. Our figures confirm what we see face to face every day, things are very difficult for a lot of local people at present.”
As a result the service needs to expand warehousing, purchase equipment and employ a part-time staff member.
Today the Southport Visiter and Southport Foodbank are appealing to local businesses and organisations to do all you can to help meet the rising costs.
Greg said: “We need help to keep helping local people. Critics like to give the impression our clients are looking for an easy ride but the reality is people arrive at our centres for a raft of reasons and the only real common factor is crisis.”
Clients are usually allowed up to three visits with each providing enough food for three days, something the Southport service believes is often misunderstood.
“You can’t just keep returning here for weeks on end, we don’t work like that,” said Greg.
“This is emergency food assistance to people in real need. It’s a lifeline not a supply line that they get from us.”
Southport Foodbank will be launching a Community Partnership initiative in the coming weeks, any local businesses or organisations interested should contact Greg Myers.
For details go to SouthportFoodbank.org.uk