Cambridgeshire food banks raise concern ahead of planned record winter
The Trussell Trust is predicting to deliver more than one million food parcels
With a record number of food parcels expected to be handed out this winter, one Cambridgeshire food bank's telling us it will be a worrying time.
Today The Trussell Trust is predicting it will face its toughest winter yet, with more than one million emergency food parcels to be delivered between December and February.
This is roughly one food parcel every 8 seconds and 7,000 people are expected to seek support each day over this time.
Becky Cooper manages March Food Bank, which is run by the Trussell Trust:
"With the cold snap that's hit this week, we've increased the amount of warmer foods into our parcels but we do expect at least another third increase (in food parcel numbers), possibly our numbers doubling from the beginning of the year," she said.
"All the managers and team leaders at the food banks are concerned as to how we're going to manage, but we will have to dip into financial reserves, go out and physically buy the food we need.
"For the Ely Foodbank group (which March Foodbank is a part of), last month we got in 5,200kg of food but we gave out 5,400kg of food; it's not sustainable."
A survey of 282 food banks across the Trussell Trust network found in the last 3 months, 93% had to buy food to keep up with rising levels of need.
And 1 in 3 of these food banks reported concern over being able to continue running at their current rate in the coming months.
"One way or another, the food will be here"
For Ely Foodbank, 3,200 food parcels were distributed across its 8 centres in the last 12 months.
And despite a troubling winter ahead, Becky is already preparing to welcome users for Christmas.
"We won't turn anyone away, so one way or another the food will be here," she added.
"The week of Christmas, we'll be doing hampers so people can come on the Tuesday, collect their food but will come again on the Friday to collect food to last them Christmas week.
"The aim of the Trussell Trust is that food banks won't be needed, but I don't see that happening in my lifetime because the cost of living crisis isn't going away, unless something drastic happens from the top."