Worcester food bank launches appeal for donations amid universal credit cuts
They've created a shopping list of items they need
Worcester Foodbank is launching an urgent harvest appeal for tinned food donations to prevent people having to skip meals this autumn.
The charity is launching its ‘every meal matters’ campaign as a combination of factors, including the cut in universal credit, rising energy prices and the end of the furlough scheme, place more pressure on food banks and low income households.
Volunteers are appealing for donations of items it could run short of – including tinned vegetables and fruit, cold meats, potatoes, rice pudding or custard. While asking that supporters avoid donating pasta and baked beans, which are already in good supply. A full list of items can be found on their website .
Grahame Lucas, Worcester Foodbank Manager, said: “The rise we’ve witnessed in child hunger has been particularly distressing but by donating a few tins of food during harvest people can help us to ensure no adult or child we support has to skip meals.”
Research from the Trussell Trust found that 1 in 5 Universal Credit claimants are likely to skip meals when their payments are reduced from October, and volunteers have also forecast that they will need to give out roughly fifty tonnes of food before the end of the year.
With use of its facilities up more than 80 percent compared to the same time last year, volunteers are now giving out more food than they are receiving in donations - despite taking in nearly 8 tonnes during August.
Low income remains the biggest cause of referrals to food banks with a growing number of people struggling to cover the cost of essentials - a problem set to be exacerbated in the coming months.