Our Impact in 2020-21
Our 2020-21 Impact Report tells the story of the difference we have been making, together with the food banks in our network, local churches, corporate partners, and other supporters and partners, over a year that has been full of challenges and change.
Our Vision
A UK without the need for food banks
where levels of destitution are so low, and ongoing financial and relational support is readily available, such that large-scale emergency food distribution is no longer needed.
The Situation
The need for food banks continues to increase
2.5 million
emergency food parcels were distributed to people in crisis by food banks in the Trussell Trust network between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021
33% increase
in the number of emergency food parcels distributed by food banks in the Trussell Trust network compared to previous year
How we’re making a difference
We’re helping unlock even more of the potential of food banks to become places where the underlying drivers of acute poverty are addressed, and supporting food banks to develop strategies to reduce the need for emergency food locally.
We’re gathering robust evidence to drive policy change that will make sure no one needs to use a food bank.
Lasting change happens when wider society thinks and acts differently about an issue, so we’re building understanding and empathy about the drivers of food bank use, and calling greater numbers of people to take action.
Changing
Communities
Over 28% of food banks in our network are offering financial inclusion services.
80% of food bank volunteers said that volunteering at the food bank had a positive impact on their connection with others in the local community.
Over 21,000 people have accessed advice via the new Help through Hardship helpline for support to increase their incomes by ensuring they are receiving the benefits they are entitled to.
Changing
Policy
Data from our food bank network helps to make the case for changes to our benefits system that better protect people from destitution:
Increased funding for local welfare assistance in England was announced in June and November 2020.
The £20 uplift to Universal Credit was extended for a further six months from March 2021.
In December 2020, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ending the Need for Food Banks was launched, to bring UK parliamentarians together to build support for measures to reduce the need for food banks.
Our Dignity and Destitution research reported on how the £20 uplift to Universal Credit has impacted the lives of people on Universal Credit and the difference that losing it would make to them.
Changing
Minds
Over 100,000 people have joined our Hunger Free Future campaign, showing their support for a future without the need for food banks.
Hunger Free Future gained more than 34 million impressions on social media, raising awareness of the problem of UK poverty.
70% think it seems more important to have a good welfare system now than it did before the pandemic started.
Read more about the difference we’re making, together with food banks in our network and other partners, in our 2020-2021 Impact Report.