5 hours Ago By [email protected] (Grant Williams)
The cost of living crisis has meant donations to a vital North London foodbank have ‘gone down significantly’, whilst the number of residents falling into food poverty continues to rise. Since April 2023, the amount of money the charity spent on food each month has risen by 50 per cent, from £2,000 to £3,000, according to the Chair. Brent Foodbank, which costs around £20,000 a month to run, went independent from the Trussell Trust earlier this year to help it fundraise more effectively.
It provides emergency food parcels to local residents trapped in a poverty cycle and suffering from food insecurity, usually through referrals from organisations such as Brent Hub and homeless charity Crisis but also via tri-weekly drop-ins. They also help provide a 'wrap-around service', by working alongside organisations dealing with mental health issues and fuel poverty. Over the course of the past two years, the number of people attending the food bank has noticeably increased, according to Brent Foodbank Chair Matt Linden.
He said that the charity is getting better at managing these higher numbers, but at times has struggled to meet the demand since it went independent on March 1. Matt said: “We got to April and we realised that we were running out of baked beans. It’s one of those things that really indicates you’re in trouble.
Stuff like coffee or hot chocolate are very much luxury items but when people are finding it difficult to buy baked beans you know you’ve got a problem.” He added: “Between 45 and 65 people coming through the food bank in two-and-a-half hours is a lot of people and we are doing that three times a week.” In its first year as an independent charity, Brent Foodbank has distributed 3,500 emergency parcels, helping over 7,500 people - with almost 40 per cent of those being children.
The parcels include food to sustain an individual or family for up to five days. Matt explains that, since Covid, the types of people relying on foodbanks have become more broad, with numbers increasing ‘week by week and month by month’. Matt claims one of the main reasons for the rise in foodbank usage is down to benefit payments not keeping up with the rising cost of living - particularly due to the soaring cost of rent and, with bills on top, many claimants have very little money left over.
Matt said: “It costs a lot of money to live in Brent. [..
.] Most people who are on income support are effectively short of money.” But Brent Foodbank is also seeing people who are in full-time employment, especially those working in the gig economy or on zero hour contracts.
Matt said: “If, for whatever reason, you lose hours, you lose money, or the job stops, then you use savings to find another job. But if you are not able to do it quickly it can spiral out of control.” He added: “Even if you apply for income support, you’re probably going to wait six to eight weeks before you get anything.
That’s a big gap there.” Preston ward councillor and volunteer at Brent Foodbank, Cllr Daniel Kennelly, also blamed the housing emergency for contributing to the rising demand for food parcels. He told the LDRS: “Many people are left without enough to pay the bills or feed themselves due to a lack of affordable accommodation.
” He added: “Working with our partners, Brent Foodbank signposts users towards support services to tackle the underlying reasons behind foodbank usage. Without continued support, these hardworking volunteers will be unable to continue providing vital support.” The winter period is an especially busy time for the foodbank.
As temperatures drop and the nights draw in early, people spend more time at home, which requires heating and electricity to be used more frequently and for longer periods. This is already being seen in the data, with 1,271 food parcels distributed last month, up from 980 in August. Since May, the foodbank has fortunately been receiving more donations than they have needed to give out, however, this was not the case earlier in the year.
Through March and April, when the newly independent charity began collecting data, the amount given out far outweight the donations received. Matt also expects the government's decision to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance will result in more pensioners being tipped into food and fuel poverty. The charity has launched a ‘Winter Appeal’ to help families and individuals through a difficult period.
Matt is hoping to raise £5,000 through individual donations, with £3,000 set to go towards gift cards so those in receipt of them can decide what to buy with it. This could be either food or gifts for children over the festive period to enable them to feel included. If the target isn’t reached, Brent Foodbank has committed to paying for it out of the general funds.
Matt said: “We are asking the people in Brent who care, to come together as a community, and by donating to our appeal help us ensure that everyone in Brent has access to food and support they need to thrive.” Don't miss out on the biggest stories from across the city: Sign up to MyLondon's The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day ..
