Salisbury Foodbank feeding fewer people as need reduces
It's thanks to multi-agencies working to support people in need
Salisbury Foodbank has revealed it's been feeding 200 fewer people this winter.
The charity said it fed around 800 people in January 2024, with that figure falling to 600 in 2025.
Foodbank Manager, Maria Stevenson says it's an amazing achievement.
"We've been working really hard over the last 12 months to address people's needs. I feel we're really starting to turn a corner and from my point of view, I want this to continue. I want less and less people to need the foodbank," she told Greatest Hits Radio.
The charity has been working alongside other agencies, including Wiltshire Citizens Advice to help people using the foodbank to reduce their need.
Maria said: "When someone's coming into the food bank. It isn't just because they have a low income, there's usually layers and layers of other things wrapped around that reason why they have a low income.
"Citizens advice have been able to help us peel away those layers or help the client peel away those layers to the point where they don't need the food bank again. They've got money in their pocket that they were entitled to."
The increased need over recent years had seen the foodbank scale back extra support at different times of the year, such as Easter, as stock had been stretched to help more people.
But Maria told us she hopes that could change this year.
However, the community is still needed to support the organisation, with long life fruit juice, and tins of fruit, vegetables and soup on a short list of items the foodbank is currently short on. Maria added that there's a need for essential toiletries.
The charity has also expanded it's warehouse facility, meaning it can now stock more items, which will allow them to help more people, who will hopefully not need the foodbank's support in future.