Posts in '2016'

When asked about the rise of foodbanks and poverty in Britain, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said,

“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

The Trussell Trust is best known for its work running a network of foodbanks providing three days of emergency food and support to people in crisis in communities across the UK. A record 1.1 million of these parcels were given to people supported by our 420+ foodbank projects in the last year alone.  This is work we are proud of– but it’s shameful that it is necessary.  We need to ensure that people left desperate, with nowhere to turn, get the support they need.

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UK bagel maker New York Bakery Co. is supporting The Trussell Trust with donations of bagels and proceeds from the inaugural edition of the New York Bakery Co. Race on 25th September 2016. The family event will see employees, South Yorkshire residents and running enthusiasts from across the country gather at the Rother Valley Country Park to support Trussell Trust foodbanks close to the company’s factories in Rotherham and Maidstone.

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A new report out today from housing charity Shelter lays bare a shocking reality foodbanks know only too well; many people are just one paycheck or unexpected bill away from being unable to afford basic essentials like food, rent and utilities.

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Carol’s mother Betty had latterly wanted to help people. But when she died suddenly and quite unexpectedly, we decided to carry out her wishes and use her legacy to fund something that would change lives forever by reaching people in the UK and overseas; which is how The Trussell Trust was founded.

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I have held several high pressure, high profile jobs during my career, some very much in the public eye, some affecting national government policy. Running has always been where I go to think. Week in week out, no matter where in the world I am, I make space for the essential solitude running makes possible, clocking up an average 25 miles a week. Running always helps me regain my equilibrium after a particularly hard day. I often work through problems on a long run. That’s where I come up with new strategies and new ideas.

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Despite the rise of alternative afternoon teas Brits just can’t live without scones with clotted cream and jam. In a poll commissioned by The Trussell Trust, ahead of Afternoon Tea Week (8-14 August), over half (51%) of people picked the traditional sweet treat as a must-have however cucumber sandwiches just scraped into the top 10, with just 13 % of people choosing the sandwich in their top three.

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Today the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed that the UK poverty costs the average taxpayer £1,200 a year. The charity’s new report, Counting the cost of UK poverty by Heriot-Watt and Loughborough Universities, has estimated the annual cost of poverty at £78 billion. The research suggests £1 in every £5 spent on public services is needed because of the impact and cost poverty has on people’s lives.

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• 1 in 5 British parents of schoolchildren aged 5 to 16 will skip a meal or more this summer holiday so there will be enough food for their children to eat; this increases to almost 1 in 3 for those aged 25 to 34
• Almost 1.5 million could skip a meal or more this summer holiday to feed their children*
• The Trussell Trust saw 5,000 more emergency food supplies given to children by foodbanks in July and August last year compared to previous two months
• Churches and community groups launch holiday clubs across UK to respond to urgent need

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“I had been with my partner for 13 years and we have two kids together. My relationship broke down and I lost everything that I’d worked for during the 13 years. I ended up homeless and was put in a shelter. Now I’ve got a room in a hostel… I have never been in this situation before and didn’t know what to do. Without the foodbank, I wouldn’t have anything at all.”

Justin features in #stillhungry, the West Cheshire Hunger Report, released today by West Cheshire Foodbank, Oxford University, and the University of Chester. The report analyses two years of data from more than 5,800 people referred to the foodbank by frontline professionals. People like Justin, who was helped to get back on his feet after losing everything.

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From 30th June to 2nd July, all Tesco stores hosted a food collection as part of the eighth Neighbourhood Food Collection, helping to support people struggling with hunger and poverty in local communities this summer.

As always, the response was overwhelming, with thousands of wonderful volunteers giving up their time to hand out shopping lists and collect food from the very generous public.

Here’s what happened during the fun-filled three-day event – prepare to be inspired!

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