Our work in Scotland
We’re working to end the need for emergency food provision in Scotland – find out what we’re doing and how you can get involved.
The distinctive context in Scotland provides a special opportunity to realise our vision to end the need for food banks.
The rising need for food banks in Scotland
There are 43 food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network in Scotland, distributing parcels at over 144 venues, and in 26 local authorities.
Between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, these food banks distributed 262,400 emergency food parcels, including almost 156,200 parcels for families with children. This is largely unchanged from the record levels of 2022/23, the busiest year ever for food banks in the Trussell Trust network.
These figures represent a 21% increase on five years ago and a 20% increase in the number of parcels for children, with an even larger increase seen for families with three or more children (up 28%).
The increase in energy bills tipped my finances over the limit…I’m so worried about the coming winter, I know I don’t dare put my heating on.
Heather, 56, East Lothian
Everyone in Scotland should be able to afford the essentials – to buy their own food and heat their homes. No one should have to turn to charity for essentials like food, but for as long as they need to the Trussell Trust will be there.
Polly Jones, Head of Scotland for the Trussell Trust
Our strategy in Scotland
People need food banks when they don’t have enough income for the essentials. In Scotland, we’re developing a new strategy that includes offering strategic grants to food banks to support their communities and identifying millions in income for people facing financial hardship.
We’ve trialled new approaches that put people with lived experience of hunger and poverty centre stage and secured a commitment from the Scottish Government in May 2021 to develop an action plan to end the need for food banks. This new plan was established in summer 2023.
Get in contact
To find out more or to discuss ways in which you can play a vital and active role in supporting our work, please get in contact with our dedicated teams:
- Email our corporate partnerships team
- Email our philanthropy team
- Email our Scottish public affairs team
Follow @TrussellScot on X (Twitter) for the latest updates on our work in Scotland.