Praise for lead shown by foodbank volunteers

The volunteers and staff of Moray Foodbank have been praised for their efforts to support local people facing financial hardship.

According to new figures released by the Trussell Trust, a UK-wide foodbank network, the Moray Foodbank distributed 2,867 packages of emergency food supplies between April 2017 and March of this year.

Of those, a worrying 861 had to be given to children. Gilbert Grieve, administration assistant from the Moray organisation’s base in Elgin, said that represented an increase of almost 25% on the previous year’s figures, when 2,303 parcels were handed out to people in need.

Volunteers with the foodbank aim to provide a minimum of three days’ worth of food to people in crisis.

The emergency packages contain a selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as tinned and dried food.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said: “I think many people in Moray would be shocked at the level of hardship people in our communities are facing and just how difficult families are finding it to make ends meet.

“That the foodbank has distributed more than 2,800 emergency food packages last year, with over 800 of those being for children, really highlights the serious need to tackle poverty in our communities and for everyone to sit up and think what their role is and how they can take action to improve the lives of people in Moray.

“Those involved in the foodbank have really taken the lead in raising awareness of the hardship and poverty right here on our doorstep.

“It is vital that all public agencies locally get behind the aims of the Fairer Moray Forum to develop a strategy to tackle poverty in our communities.”

Gilbert Grieve in the stock room at Moray Foodbank