Posts in '2015'

Picture this: you’re ten minutes late for a meeting at work. You’re very sorry. You explain to your boss how the bus was on diversion and took half an hour longer than usual. Your boss has no time to discuss it and simply tells you that you won’t get paid this month. That’s it, not a fine, or some kind of reduction, but nothing, no pay, absolutely nothing. (more…)

A country of security and opportunity for everyone, at every stage of life; these were the words David Cameron used to set out his bold One Nation vision in the Queen’s Speech this May.

As we digest the results of the budget today, the words seem as good a test to judge it by as any. To be true to the One Nation ideal the budget must answer a simple question those of us in the foodbanks movement ponder every day. What can be done to reduce the number of people in poverty and hunger? (more…)

David McAuley, Chief Executive of The Trussell Trust said:

“We have two simple tests for the budget being delivered today.  Firstly, what does it do to reduce the number of people in poverty and hunger?  Secondly, what does it do to ensure the Government is supporting the work of charities and social enterprise in taking people out of poverty.

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Father’s Day can be a difficult time for men facing crisis, especially dads facing hunger who are unable to provide food for their families or afford basic toiletry products many of us take for granted.

In the UK, 1 in 5 parents skip meals to make sure their children have enough food, and for parents in crisis who are struggling to buy food, other basic products such as nappies, shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and aftershave can be unaffordable as well.

We’re launching a Father’s Day appeal asking people to make donations of chocolate treats and men’s toiletry products (such as aftershave and deodorant) to their local foodbanks to help dads facing crisis in the UK.

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We’re excited to see that Salisbury has been decorated with 25 life-sized decorated medieval barons, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta and helping to raise funds for The Trussell Trust.

The Barons’ Charter has been organised by The Trussell Trust and Wild in Art, displaying the biggest mass participation public art event the city has ever seen.

The trail runs for 12 weeks this summer, from 12th June to 6th September before the sculptures are auctioned in October to raise money for The Trussell Trust. (more…)

The morning after the general election, The Trussell Trust Twitter feed was full of people offering support for foodbanks. Ordinary, generous people are donating funds and food because they’re worried that we’ll see the need for emergency food rise due to reductions in welfare spending.

Foodbank managers are worried. We have seen in the past that the implementation of welfare reform sees increases in people facing hunger and turning to foodbanks. We know that we could see another rise in need. But what is the answer?

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Energy supplier npower have launched a three-month trial of the nation’s first Fuel Bank to help those living in fuel poverty. The scheme has been launched in partnership with The Trussell Trust, National Energy Action and Durham Christian Partnership.

Placed initially in 21 existing food banks, the Fuel Banks will support households most in need of help by giving them funds to pay for gas and electricity alongside emergency food aid. They will help households using prepayment meters, regardless of whether they are npower customers or not, with the fuel bank voucher worth £49 credit, able to be used to top up gas and electricity meters. This will enable households that have run out of energy to get the power back on within a few hours for up to two weeks. (more…)

1) Foodbanks only provide food

Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a lot more than food; that’s because we recognise that tackling hunger also means tackling the underlying cause of the crisis. Trussell Trust foodbanks signpost people to local agencies and charities who help people break out of poverty.

Over 90% of Trussell Trust foodbanks provide extras alongside emergency food: this can vary from toiletries and period products, to baby basics; holiday clubs; CV clinics; and financial, welfare and housing advice. We’re currently partnering with Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis to pilot hosting financial and debt advisers in foodbanks. This extra level of support aims to help people during their immediate crisis, whilst also recognising that it can take more than food to help someone break out of their situation long term.

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Listening to people who have been referred to West Cheshire food bank, where I work, can be emotionally draining. How would you respond to a young girl who has been ripping out her own hair because she can’t cope? To a former soldier with a serious illness who is violently sick every time he takes his medication because you’re meant to take it on a full stomach?

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• Record numbers seek help from UK’s biggest foodbank charity.
• More than 1 million people received three days’ food from Trussell Trust foodbanks, compared to 900,000 last year. Including almost 400,000 children. (Note: these are not all unique
  users; this is a measure of volume. See notes to editor on how Trussell Trust statistics are compiled)
• Faculty of Public Health supports Trussell Trust’s call to listen to the experiences of people in crisis in order to reduce poverty and hunger in the UK.

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