Foodbanks are extended as demand soars (From The Argus)
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Foodbanks extended across Sussex as demand soars
6:20pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan
Foodbanks are being extended across Sussex because of a rise in demand.
Charities which provide food parcels and supplies to people in need say the financial crisis and changes to the benefits system has led to more people coming forward for help.
Eight banks, including ones in Haywards Heath, Worthing, and Eastbourne, are run by the Christian charity The Trussell Trust, but other organisations around the county also provide a similar service.
The trust is now aiming to set up another four banks to cope with the rise in demand, including ones in Hailsham, Chichester and East Grinstead.
It says it distributed more than 3,400 food parcels to people in the county during the last financial year.
However, since April it has already handed over about 3,000 and the calls for support are rising.
The Brighton-based charity FareShare delivers food supplies to 48 charities across Brighton and Hove and Worthing.
This includes soup kitchens, unemployed centres, and day centres.
Project manager Nathan Au said that in a recent survey 55% of the charities they helped had noticed a rise in the number of people coming forward looking for help with food supplies.
He said: “It is quite a dramatic increase from the 30% that said there was a year before.
“I think inflation is making a dent, especially when you are on a low income.
Struggling
“Businesses are struggling and people are being made redundant. Getting a job is not easy.
“Fuel prices are going up, rent is going up and food is going up.
“Something is going to give and sometimes food is easier to cut back on.
“What he have noticed is that five years ago we were mainly dealing with charities who helped people who were homeless, in temporary housing or were vulnerable and needed shelter.
“Now we are noticing that more people who are on benefits or on a minimum wage and affected by changes to tax credits are coming forward and asking for help as well.
“With more changes to housing benefits expected in April, I think the demand is only going to continue to rise.”
People using the service say they have been forced to do so because they have either been made redundant or have lost their job through illness and injury and cannot get the benefits they need.
Others are single parents who work part-time because of childcare arrangements but this is not enough to cover their bills.
For more details about foodbanks in your area, visit www.trusselltrust.org or call 01722 580180.
Comments(8)
Morpheus
says...
10:41pm Thu 6 Sep 12
hubby
says...
12:00am Fri 7 Sep 12
lillylou
says...
9:17am Fri 7 Sep 12
longman wrote:This is England not Africa if you think it's ok for us not to have fines washing machines tumble dryers cookers fridges than you are a horrible person let me guess are you over 60 ponsing free bus travel ?
How many of these people still afford to buy cigarettes, have a mobile phone, have the internet? True poverty is people living on the streets in the UK, not having luxuries such as those I have mentioned. We have been hit by redundancy and got rid of phones and the internet - we dont smoke - until we had jobs again. Give up luxury items and spend the benefits on decent, fresh food; buying from the grocer's is cheaper and fresher than from the supermarket. Recently, the definition of poverty was not having a dishwasher and a tumble dryer. We have neither and we are not in poverty; hard up, but not in poverty!
Mrs Newcastle
says...
10:06am Fri 7 Sep 12
lillylou wrote:When people first claim benefits there is a waiting time, somtimes this can be a few weeks before they recieve any money to buy food.
longman wrote:This is England not Africa if you think it's ok for us not to have fines washing machines tumble dryers cookers fridges than you are a horrible person let me guess are you over 60 ponsing free bus travel ?
How many of these people still afford to buy cigarettes, have a mobile phone, have the internet? True poverty is people living on the streets in the UK, not having luxuries such as those I have mentioned. We have been hit by redundancy and got rid of phones and the internet - we dont smoke - until we had jobs again. Give up luxury items and spend the benefits on decent, fresh food; buying from the grocer's is cheaper and fresher than from the supermarket. Recently, the definition of poverty was not having a dishwasher and a tumble dryer. We have neither and we are not in poverty; hard up, but not in poverty!
Crystal Ball
says...
10:54am Fri 7 Sep 12
longman wrote:Well said.
How many of these people still afford to buy cigarettes, have a mobile phone, have the internet? True poverty is people living on the streets in the UK, not having luxuries such as those I have mentioned. We have been hit by redundancy and got rid of phones and the internet - we dont smoke - until we had jobs again. Give up luxury items and spend the benefits on decent, fresh food; buying from the grocer's is cheaper and fresher than from the supermarket. Recently, the definition of poverty was not having a dishwasher and a tumble dryer. We have neither and we are not in poverty; hard up, but not in poverty!
The people of today really do not know the true meaning of "Poverty". We live an image-obsessed, material 'keep-up-with-the-Jo
nes' world and have lost the qualities of patience, compassion and modesty. I despair.
Mrs Newcastle
says...
11:18am Fri 7 Sep 12
"The 2012 Welfare Reform Act includes changes to the discretionary Social Fund, which will occur from April 2013. Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses will be abolished and funding will instead be made available to unitary and upper-tier local authorities in England to enable them to provide new locally-administered assistance to vulnerable groups. The total funding available will be capped at 2005 budget levels which means there will be less available than there is at the moment."
Mrs Newcastle
says...
11:23am Fri 7 Sep 12
Crystal Ball wrote:The Trussell Trust is a voice for people experiencing food poverty in the UK.
longman wrote:Well said.
How many of these people still afford to buy cigarettes, have a mobile phone, have the internet? True poverty is people living on the streets in the UK, not having luxuries such as those I have mentioned. We have been hit by redundancy and got rid of phones and the internet - we dont smoke - until we had jobs again. Give up luxury items and spend the benefits on decent, fresh food; buying from the grocer's is cheaper and fresher than from the supermarket. Recently, the definition of poverty was not having a dishwasher and a tumble dryer. We have neither and we are not in poverty; hard up, but not in poverty!
The people of today really do not know the true meaning of "Poverty". We live an image-obsessed, material 'keep-up-with-the-Jo
nes' world and have lost the qualities of patience, compassion and modesty. I despair.
they provide food for people who have no food to eat , this happens in this country!
longman says...
9:45pm Thu 6 Sep 12