‘We can’t even fill the shelves’: Lincolnshire foodbank facing record demand
Over the past five years, there's been a 25% increase in children using foodbanks in the East Midlands
As schools prepare to break for summer, a Lincolnshire foodbank is reporting a surge in new users.
"The big difference I've seen this year is we're getting a lot of new clients in a younger age bracket, and of single people with children definitely", says Maureen Cornell, Operations Manager at Bourne Food Bank. "Single dads with children is also a trend I'm seeing."
"The fact that they’re no longer able to access free school meals during the holidays is definitely going to have an impact on their household budgets. "A lot of people are still probably embarrassed about using the food bank, and obviously when the school is closed they can't get the vouchers from there like they would normally do." This comes as inflation has gone up more than expected this year - with rising food and clothing prices major factors. According to food bank charity the Trussel Trust, the number of children receiving food support in the East Midlands has risen by 25% over the past five years. Now, as Lincolnshire schools prepare to break up for summer, Maureen says there has been a fall in donations, and a rise in demand:
“I’ve been doing this for nearly 11 years, and we only survive now because of financial donations.
"I go out and shop every week to keep the foodbank going, because food donations into drop boxes and individual donations have just gone down and down this year.
"I know that’s something happening nationally, not just here. Without financial support, we couldn’t survive on the stock we get in.
"Just 18 months ago, the foodbank had excess stock — now, shelves are often empty. We used to have beans, pasta, cereals piled up in the old premises. Now, we can’t even fill the shelves in our main room. There are so many empty shelves. Anything would be appreciated." Maureen says community initiatives are helping to spread out the demand: "The Butterfield Pantry is a nearby community project to reduce food waste. They take in surplus bread, vegetables, and other items from supermarkets at the end of the day, and it’s open to the general public.
"People pay two pounds to come and collect a variety of items, including freezer and chilled goods.
"It’s a great community initiative, and there are other projects like the Bread and Butter Club, which now has a branch in Bourne. These provide different outlets for people to get food without needing a referral, alongside the foodbank."