Posts in '2019'

A blog post by
Emma Greenwood
Area Manager for South West England

I’m reflecting on a busy week for the food banks I support across the South West.

I’m simultaneously saddened and angered by the increase of people coming through their doors; whilst in awe of the time and energy given by so many volunteers to cope with this increase in demand.  They must all be exhausted after probably their busiest Christmas ever – but still showing kindness and offering support to those in need.

People have been generous – warehouses are over-flowing with donations of food and its good to see financial donations coming in that ensure these organisations can continue to keep their doors open.  Thank you.

I’m often asked what people can do to support their local food banks – and yes, donations of food are really important.  Please get in touch with your food bank first to see what food they are most in need of – but hold off dropping anything off until January now as most are finding it a squeeze at the moment.

But do you also know else you can do?

Don’t accept that this is normal.  Continue to be shocked and saddened by the news of increased food bank use and think about how you can play a part in working towards a future where food banks are not needed.

We know hunger in the UK is not about lack of food.  It’s about people not having enough money.  And we know that things need to change.

Everyone can play a part and challenge the structural issues that lock people into poverty.

So, my New Year’s Resolution is going to rise to this challenge – to use the voice I have to campaign for change.

Who’s with me?

You can sign up as a campaigner or ask for a volunteer pack to help us end the need for food banks. We know that with your help, this can change. 

A key part of the Fight Hunger Create Change partnership between Asda, the Trussell Trust and FareShare is a grants programme for food banks in our network, providing crucial additional resources to increase the breath of services they can offer people to help prevent someone needing a food bank again in the future.

A year on from using their grant funding to establish a counselling service, Gateway Trust Counselling, Ribble Valley Foodbank manager Jane Chitnis and volunteer and trained counsellor Ali Groves, who set up the initiative, explain the difference it’s made…

Jane: We’re trying to offer a holistic approach to people coming through our doors so that the positive benefits are felt by all beyond food.  We know so many people we meet at our food bank are affected by mental health issues.

Ali, a past food bank volunteer and trained counsellor, immediately saw the need for a counselling service. There are so many people we signpost to different services and she knows all too well how long it can take to access counselling through the NHS. Due to pressure and demand the limited session provision can take longer than six months to become available.

Ali heads up a team with four volunteer counsellors. People seeking counselling are offered appointments on a weekly or fortnightly basis. People are counselled whether or not they can afford a donation and the service is often fully booked. People can self-refer, or be referred by the food bank signposters.

There’s a huge need for this kind of initiative and we have felt immediate benefits within the community.

Volunteers feel more confident knowing they can offer someone a free counselling service because of the Asda grant funding, rather than simply signposting them on elsewhere. There are many practical ways you can help people, but this kind of therapy is at the heart of helping to equip people to move forward in their lives.

Ali: We’re able to offer people a tailored counselling service and I think that makes a massive difference. We’re able to really come alongside someone, for however long they need.

We’ve worked with 50 people in the past year – while some people only need three sessions and then something clicks and they know what they want to do, some people have more complex issues to work through, and we might be working together for something closer to 40 sessions.

Here are some testimonials from people who have completed therapy with us:

“I’ve never felt so heard and understood by a therapist before and the lasting effects of my time with Gateway have been amazing. I now have the understanding and the tools to effectively navigate negative situations that arise.”

• A young mum

“I just thought you’d like to know that because of my counselling I have grown in confidence. This has meant that my boss hasn’t once shouted at me since and he treats me like all the other workers. So thank you for helping me.”

• Male, 20

The flexibility we offer means we can fit with what people need. We have been working with someone at the moment who’s waited six months for eight sessions of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy through the NHS. We’re able to bridge that gap while he’s waiting, and after he’s had his allocated sessions with the team at the NHS, he knows if there’s anything he wants to pick back up with us then we’re here.

I can demonstrate the difference we’re making really clearly because of a series of questions we use with our clients to assess their mental health which create a score – when the client who is now receiving CBT first came in, his score was really high at 33, but now it’s halved and dropped to 16. We often see people’s scores really dropping in this way, hopefully it means we’ve paved the way and all the work he’s done with us means the CBT he’ll get at the NHS will really help.

But I think one of the things that shows most clearly the difference that’s being made in our community are the things we hear from people we’ve worked with. So I want to end with this lovely message from a widow with two young children, who we’ve worked with closely throughout the year:

“I can’t thank you enough for walking through this last year with me. Your genuine faith and care have helped me through what could have been a totally overwhelming time.”

Following the results of the 2019 election, Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust said:

“The Conservative party manifesto for this election promised ‘we will do more to make universal credit work’. Just last week on the campaign trail, Boris Johnson said helping people with the cost of living is ‘an absolute crusade’ for him personally.

“It is crucial these words are acted on. We know what hasn’t been working as it should, and we know what needs to change. We must start putting money back into the pockets of people who most need support, by ending the five week wait for Universal Credit, ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis.

“It’s in our power as a country to end the need for food banks. But if we’re to get there, we need our new government to act. We’re ready to share evidence from our network of food banks across the UK, and we’d encourage any new MPs to speak to their local food bank about why people are being referred for emergency food. It’s not right that anyone should have to turn to charity for the basics – this can change.”

Ends

Contact

[email protected]

020 3137 3699

Notes to editor

Data released recently shows December 2018 was the busiest month for food banks last year. 186,185 three-day emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to people in crisis; 78,536 of these went to children. This is 44% higher than the monthly average for the 2018-19 financial year.

Just weeks ago, the charity published figures for April – Sept 2019, showing that there has already been a 23% increase in the number of food parcels provided compared to the same period in 2018.

About the Trussell Trust:

• The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of more than 1,200 food bank centres across the UK.
• It takes more than food to end hunger. The Trussell Trust therefore does three things: supports its network to provide emergency food to people referred; helps food banks to provide on-site additional help or signpost people to relevant local charities to resolve the cause of referral; and brings together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the front line to challenge the structural issues that lock people in poverty, and campaign for long-term change so we can see a future without the need for food banks.
• Read more at trusselltrust.org

As election day unfolds, I want to look at the direct impact food banks and our charity partners have had on the pledges political parties have made in the hope of securing votes today.

The impact of food banks’ collective voice on party manifestos is clear.

The Conservative party has confirmed they will end the benefits freeze and add safeguards to Universal Credit. The Labour and Liberal Democrat party manifestos both recognise the message of #5WeeksTooLong and promise an end to the five week wait for Universal Credit. The SNP manifesto promises to make up the losses in benefit payments caused by benefits freezes and cuts, while Plaid Cymru, the Green party and others talk about the need to make changes to our current benefits system.

We shouldn’t take this lightly. 

That widespread, cross-party recognition that our benefits system should be working to protect people from poverty is new. And it hasn’t happened by chance.

These pledges to make much-needed change are because we have worked together so closely with our network food banks and countless other charity partners over the last year, putting time, energy and resource into highlighting the reasons why people need food banks, and crucially, what changes would prevent people needing a food bank in the future.

Irrespective of who wins this General Election, we must continue to press forward. Elections are not just for Christmas after all!

These party manifestos are an indication of the difference we can make on people who have the highest level of decision-making power. We are already making a difference – poverty can be solved and you can help.

Join us as a campaigner today and make your voice heard.

This can change.

Emma Revie

Chief Executive  

A key part of the Fight Hunger Create Change partnership between Asda, the Trussell Trust and FareShare is a grants programme for food banks in our network, providing crucial additional resources to increase the breath of services they can offer people to help prevent someone needing a food bank again in the future.

Emma Murray from Bristol North West Foodbank explains what their successful grant application has meant for people referred to the food bank…

About a year ago we took on the ambitious move to try and take on an advice worker ourselves at the food bank on a nine-month contract.

Immediately we started to see the huge positive impact it was having on people referred and we were thinking, why have we not done this before? We have to keep this person! So we applied for a large Fight Hunger Create Change grant through the Trussell Trust, because we wanted to really commit long term to having a more holistic approach as a food bank.

One example of the difference that’s been made is Jack’s experience*. When he came to the food bank, he’d been sleeping by the river for eighteen months in a tent in Bristol. We helped him with food, and he had a wash in our sinks, that sort of thing. He started turning up every Monday morning, and as we got our advice worker she was able to work with him and connect him up with the local support services at Shelter.

The whole process meant he was off the streets before winter and he quite literally said ‘I think I would have died if I had spent another winter out sleeping in a tent’.

The team there are now looking at putting him in more permanent location. For Jack, having someone right at that crisis point in a food bank centre, who had the expertise, connections and time to sit down and look at what support was needed, was totally life changing.

No one should need our food bank – Jack should never have been in that position in the first place. That’s why we’re part of the Trussell Trust network, working alongside other food banks to campaign for long-term changes that will bring us closer to a future where there’s no need for food banks.

But while that long-term work is underway, we want to do all we can in our community to make sure people like Jack can access the best possible help right now.

As a local charity, it would have been hard for us to make that leap to employ someone permanently to give advice, and now we’ve got that grant it’s kick started something and I think it should work for as long as that’s help is needed. So we’d really like to thank Asda and the Trussell Trust – having someone paid who is able to commit to providing that service in the food bank in the long-term is making a huge difference.

We work really hard to create a welcoming atmosphere in our centres, a space where someone can feel comfortable to tell us why they need a food bank, over a cup of tea or coffee. And now we have an advice worker across all of our four food bank centres, we know that we really can help somebody once they share something with us. Together, we can take those steps towards making sure they don’t need our help again.

*Jack’s name has been changed

During a visit to Salisbury city on Tuesday 3^rd December, Boris Johnson was asked if his party’s pledges would decrease the use of food banks. He said:

‘I do (hope it will decrease). We need to be tackling it in every possible way. We want to help people with the cost of living and it’s an absolute crusade for me. When I was running London we did an awful lot to support and help food banks and to help the poorest and needy. I applaud everybody who gets involved with running food banks but clearly it is wrong that people should be dependent on them.

‘That’s why we’re lifting the living wage by the biggest ever amount, up to £10.50 an hour, reducing the age threshold down to 21 year-olds, cutting national insurance for everybody will make a difference. It is imperative in my view that the next government, if I’m lucky enough to be leading it, tackles the cost of living for everybody in this country, that’s what we’re going to do.’

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, responded:

‘For too many people it’s becoming harder and harder to keep their heads above water – we can’t shy away from the changes that would make the real difference to end the need for food banks. We know issues with the benefits system, like the five week wait for Universal Credit and low payments that aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living, are pushing more people to need food banks than ever before.

‘Of course it’s wrong that anyone needs to use a food bank in the UK. So will all of our party leaders commit to the changes we know need to be made? We need to start putting money back into the pockets of people who most need support, by ending the five week wait for Universal Credit; ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living; and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis.

‘Boris Johnson says helping people with the cost of living is “an absolute crusade” for him. I’m ready to meet with all party leaders, including Johnson, to talk about the change that’s needed so we can end the need for food banks for good. Our next government must start working towards a future where everyone has enough money for the basics.’

Ends

Contact:

Contact the Trussell Trust Press Office at 020 3137 3699 or [email protected]

Notes to Editor:

Data released recently shows December 2018 was the busiest month for food banks last year. 186,185 three-day emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to people in crisis; 78,536 of these went to children. This is 44% higher than the monthly average for the 2018-19 financial year.

Just weeks ago, the charity published figures for April – Sept 2019, showing that there has already been a 23% increase in the number of food parcels provided compared to the same period in 2018.

About the Trussell Trust:

• The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of more than 1,200 food bank centres across the UK.
• It takes more than food to end hunger. The Trussell Trust therefore does three things: supports its network to provide emergency food to people referred; helps food banks to provide on-site additional help or signpost people to relevant local charities to resolve the cause of referral; and brings together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the front line to challenge the structural issues that lock people in poverty, and campaign for long-term change so we can see a future without the need for food banks.
• Read more at trusselltrust.org

With Christmas only a few weeks away, the Trussell Trust is concerned new figures from December 2018, taken alongside the increase in food bank parcels needed so far this year, suggest more people than ever will need a food bank’s help.

Data released today shows December 2018 was the busiest month for food banks last year. 186,185 three-day emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to people in crisis; 78,536 of these went to children. This is 44% higher than the monthly average for the 2018-19 financial year.*

Just weeks ago, the charity published figures for April – Sept 2019, showing that there has already been a 23% increase in the number of food parcels provided compared to the same period in 2018.

The new figures follow the recent publication of State of Hunger, the most in-depth study to date into hunger and the drivers of food bank use in the UK. The research revealed:

• The average weekly income of households at food banks is only £50 after paying rent
• One in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food
• 94% of people at food banks are destitute

State of Hunger shows there are three drivers hitting people simultaneously and leaving no protection from hunger and poverty. These drivers are problems with the benefits system, ill health or challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.

The Trussell Trust is therefore encouraging the public to do two things ahead of this Christmas.

First, it’s asking the public to donate to their local food bank as soon as possible, to ensure vital help is there for people pulled into crisis by increased pressure from heating bills, food and other essentials during the lead up to Christmas. Volunteers will be stretched supporting more people than ever, so the earlier donations are made, the more time volunteers will have to distribute them to people referred.

Second, in the run up to the General Election, it’s asking the public to ask candidates on all sides to pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.

The charity says the next government can start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank by:

1. Ending the five week wait for Universal Credit
2. Ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living
3. Investing in local emergency support for people in crisis

The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said:

“Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration – but for too many people it’s becoming harder and harder to keep their heads above water. Nine in 10 of us believe hunger in the UK is a problem – food banks cannot and should not have to continue to pick up the pieces.

“We know many people want to help their local communities at this time of year. There are two simple things you can do to make a real difference. First, find out what items your local food bank is most in need of and donate as soon as possible. Then help us end the need for food banks for good, by asking all your local candidates up for election to pledge to protect people from hunger by making sure everyone has enough money for the basics.

“It’s not right that anyone should have to use a food bank at any time of year – not just at Christmas. Our next government must start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank. It’s not inevitable that every Christmas we hear stories about families needing food banks. It’s in our power to reach a future where everyone has enough money for the basics. This can change.”

Ends

Contact:

Contact the Trussell Trust Press Office at 020 3137 3699 or [email protected]

Notes to Editor:

* The monthly average for emergency food parcels provided by food banks within the Trussell Trust network for 2018 was 128,899.

The Trussell Trust’s statistics:

• ‘Emergency food parcel’: three days’ emergency food for one person. These statistics are a measure of volume rather than unique individuals. Recent analysis shows on average people need around two food bank referrals in a year. More information about the way this data is gathered and what it can and can’t show here.
• Between 1^st December 2018 and 31^st December 2018, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network provided 186,185 emergency supplies to people in crisis. 78,536 of these supplies went to children.
• This is a 15% increase on the same one-month period in 2017, when 161,686 emergency supplies went to people in crisis; 66,771 of these went to children.
• Trussell Trust figures cannot be used to fully explain the scale of food bank use across the UK, because figures relate to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network and not to the hundreds of independent food banks. There are more than 1,200 food bank centres in the Trussell Trust’s network across the UK – research from the Independent Food Aid Network shows there are at least 817 independent food banks, so the Trussell Trust network accounts for roughly two-thirds of all food banks.
• The Independent Food Aid Network and A Menu for Change recently published data on the number of emergency food parcels distributed by independent food banks in Scotland which almost doubles the scale shown by figures from the Trussell Trust network – more detail here.

About the Trussell Trust:

• The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of more than 1,200 food bank centres across the UK.
• It takes more than food to end hunger. The Trussell Trust therefore does three things: supports its network to provide emergency food to people referred; helps food banks to provide on-site additional help or signpost people to relevant local charities to resolve the cause of referral; and brings together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the front line to challenge the structural issues that lock people in poverty, and campaign for long-term change so we can see a future without the need for food banks.
• Read more at trusselltrust.org

Pierrette, who works in finance for Delta Air Lines, has volunteered with the Trussell Trust multiple times as part of her workplace’s corporate volunteering programme. Here, she explains why she thinks it’s so important.

Volunteering opportunities are definitely part of Delta’s company culture – we’re encouraged to volunteer as much as we can, and I’ve volunteered with the Trussell Trust three times now.

Volunteering at the food bank is such a great experience. The people who work there are so lovely. They do a lot for their community every day and are so appreciative of any help they can get – it’s really humbling to see that. Hopefully, the work we did will be helpful to the food bank and the people they support.

I think it’s important to contribute to society, and I hope a lot of other people feel the same. I think we take a lot of what we have for granted, while there are so many people out there who need help and support, and it’s important to give our time back.

We all might find ourselves in a situation where we need extra help, so it’s important to make sure the system of support is there when someone needs it. And it starts with each of us finding the time to be there for each other.

Volunteers like Pierrette play a vital role in supporting people in crisis. Without them, the food banks in our network couldn’t provide the services they do and many thousands of people would go hungry.

If you’re interested in volunteering with the Trussell Trust, check out our volunteering pages now and get in touch. You could work in one of our offices or charity shops, sort food in a food bank warehouse, help out at a food bank, and much more.

We’re committed to ensuring that all of our volunteers feel welcomed, valued, and respected. We are hugely grateful to everyone who volunteers for the Trussell Trust and for the food banks in our network. Together, we are making great progress in the fight to end the need for food banks in the UK – and you can help too.

As the General Election nears, the Trussell Trust is calling for politicians of all parties to pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics. The charity reports more people than ever before are being forced to food banks, with more than 820,000 emergency food parcels given out in the past six months.

New data released today shows April to September 2019 to be the busiest half-year period for food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network since the charity opened. During the six months, 823,145 three-day emergency food parcels were given to people in crisis in the UK; more than a third of these (301,653) went to children.

This is a 23% increase on the same period in 2018 – the sharpest rate of increase the charity has seen for the past five years.

The main reasons for people needing emergency food are low benefit income (36%), and delays (18%) or changes (16%) to benefits being paid.

The new figures come just a week after the Trussell Trust released State of Hunger, the most in-depth study ever published into hunger and the drivers of food bank use in the UK. The research revealed:

• The average weekly income of households at food banks is only £50 after paying rent
• One in five have no money coming in at all in the month before being referred for emergency food
• 94% of people at food banks are destitute

State of Hunger shows there are three drivers hitting people simultaneously and leaving no protection from hunger and poverty. These drivers are problems with the benefits system, ill health or challenging life experiences, and a lack of local support.

One of the key issues people at food banks face is the five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment. Although Universal Credit is not the only benefit payment people at food banks experience problems with, the majority (65%) of food bank referrals made in April – Sept 2019 due to a delay in benefits being paid in the UK were linked to Universal Credit.

At the moment, people moving onto the government’s new benefits system have to wait at least five weeks – and often longer – with no money. People can get offered an Advance Payment, but this is a loan that must be paid back, often forcing people into debt.

As the election nears, the Trussell Trust is calling for politicians on all sides to pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics.  It is asking the next government to start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank by:

1. Ending the five week wait for Universal Credit
2. Ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living
3. Investing in local emergency support for people in crisis

The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said:

 “More people than ever before are being forced to food banks’ doors. Our benefits system is supposed to protect us all from being swept into poverty, but currently thousands of women, men and children are not receiving sufficient protection from destitution.

 “This is not right. But we know this situation can be fixed – our benefits system could be the key to unlocking people from poverty. This General Election, all political parties must pledge to protect people from hunger by ensuring everyone has enough money for the basics. We want our next government to start working towards a future where no one needs a food bank by ending the five week wait for Universal Credit; ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living; and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis.

“Together, these three changes will put money back into the pockets of people who most need our support. It’s in our power as a country to end the need for food banks. This can change.”

Ends

Contact:

Contact The Trussell Trust Press Office at 020 3137 3699 or [email protected]

Notes to Editor:

The Trussell Trust’s statistics:

• ‘Emergency food parcel’: three days’ emergency food for one person. These statistics are a measure of volume rather than unique individuals. Recent analysis shows on average people need around two food bank referrals in a year. More information about the way this data is gathered and what it can and can’t show here.
• Between 1^st April 2019 and 31^st September 2019, food banks in The Trussell Trust’s network provided 823,145 emergency supplies to people in crisis. 301,653 of these supplies went to children.
• This is a 23% increase on the same period in 2018, when 668,678 emergency supplies went to people in crisis; 237,708 of these went to children.
• Trussell Trust figures cannot be used to fully explain the scale of food bank use across the UK, because figures relate to food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network and not to the hundreds of independent food banks. There are more than 1,200 food bank centres in the Trussell Trust’s network across the UK – research from the Independent Food Aid Network shows there are at least 817 independent food banks, so the Trussell Trust network accounts for roughly two-thirds of all food banks.
• The Independent Food Aid Network and A Menu for Change recently published data on the number of emergency food parcels distributed by independent food banks in Scotland which almost doubles the scale shown by figures from the Trussell Trust network – more detail here.

About The Trussell Trust:

• The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity that supports a network of more than 1,200 food bank centres across the UK.
• It takes more than food to end hunger. The Trussell Trust therefore does three things: supports its network to provide emergency food to people referred; helps food banks to provide on-site additional help or signpost people to relevant local charities to resolve the cause of referral; and brings together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the front line to challenge the structural issues that lock people in poverty, and campaign for long-term change so we can see a future without the need for food banks.
• Read more at trusselltrust.org

Christmas is only a few weeks away. No doubt lots of people are already looking forward to the festive season, thinking about their Christmas dinner or what gifts to buy their families.

Christmas is supposed to be a time for joy and celebration – but for too many people it’s becoming increasingly difficult, with more people than ever expected to need to use a food bank during the festive period.

The food banks in our network work incredibly hard throughout the year to make sure that people in crisis get support. Christmas is often their busiest time, and you can help make sure that they have the supplies they need to meet this increased need.

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing – and having fun! Challenging yourself to some festive fundraising is a great way to get together with friends, family or colleagues and raise money for a great cause at the same time. Whatever your age, whatever you enjoy doing, there’s a way for you to help. Check out some of our fundraising ideas and make your Christmas even more special by supporting our work to help us end the need for food banks in the UK.

1. Sign a Star This Christmas: Wish your friends and colleagues a Happy Christmas by signing on a star this Christmas with our special poster and donating to the Trussell Trust. Download the poster here.
2. Hold an Elf auction: Be a helping hand for the day, morning, or afternoon, offer your services as a present wrapper, or auction a home-cooked meal.
3. Christmas Angels: Ask your colleagues to bring in a photo of themselves as a baby and pay a small entry fee to join the competition to guess who these bundles of joy are now!
4. Golden Cracker: If you’re heading out for a Christmas party, ask everyone to purchase a Christmas cracker. Put a special small gift in one of the crackers – no matter who gets the prize, everyone’s a winner as they’re all making a donation to the Trussell Trust.
5. Desk decorating competition: Add some festive cheer to your office and have a little competition to see who can create the best winter wonderland at their desk.
6. Secret Santa: Instead of spending £10 on a gift, why not limit your team’s purchases to £5 this year and donate the extra to the Trussell Trust?
7. Cook up a (snow)storm: Whether it’s a gingerbread man competition, festive bake off, or mince pie madness, have fun while fundraising with a festive bake sale.

Once you’ve chosen your idea, plan your fundraiser – remember that Christmas is a busy time of year, so even the simplest activities might need some planning! Let people know about your event with posters in your office, social media posts, or personal invitations and then have fun!

When you’ve collected your money, you can pay it in at www.justgiving.com/campaign/christmascommunity2019. If you’d prefer, you can give us a ring on 01722 580 180, or post your check and any sponsorship forms you used.

You can also text ‘2019CHRISTMASCARD’ to 70450 to donate £2. This costs £2 plus a standard message rate. All donations sent through JustGiving or text come directly to us.

Need more inspiration, have a question, or simply want to find out more? Email [email protected] or call 01722 580 180. We’d love to see photos of your festive fundraisers so join #TeamTrussell on social media!

Whether you’re donating, fundraising, or taking part in an event, you’re helping us to continue our fight to end the need for food banks in the UK.