Cambridgeshire foodbank volunteer sees rising trend in first-time users
The number of emergency food parcels handed out has risen by more than 70% in five years
Last updated 15th May 2024
A volunteer at a Cambridgeshire foodbank is telling us it's continuing to keep up with rising demand.
Figures from the Trussell Trust show the number of emergency food parcels given out in the county has jumped by more than 70 per cent in the last five years.
In the East of England, there's been an around 30,000 increase in the number of parcels distributed over the last two years, from over 320,000 in 2022-23 to nearly 350,000 in 2023-24.
"People are having to prioritise"
Caroline Barnes volunteers at March Foodbank:
"We don't have many people who are long-term users so to speak, but the numbers that are coming in are different people, not the same group of people who have been with us for months," she said.
"People are having to prioritise and there are some things they can't prioritise over, and food seems to be a thing they can put down the list which is just not right.
"I think part of the problem is there are a lot of people whose circumstances have changed who normally manage but just managing, and now the goalposts and have gone into not quite managing."
What are the figures?
Total parcels distributed (between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024):
- Cambridge - 14,725
- Peterborough - 14,124
- Fenland - 7,449
- Huntingdonshire - 9,408
- East Cambridgeshire - 4,000
- South Cambridgeshire - 2,537
Total parcels distributed (between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019):
- Cambridge - 8,284
- Peterborough- 7,594
- Fenland- 5,165
- Huntingdonshire- 5,034
- East Cambridgeshire- 3,438
- South Cambridgeshire- 929
What does the government say?
The Government says there's a range of cost of living support payments available for those struggling.