East Riding food banks struggling to source supplies
It's after handing out 10,000 parcels in a year
Food banks in the East Riding are struggling to source supplies after handing out 10,000 parcels in a year.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, East Riding Council Leader Cllr Jonathan Owen said food banks were struggling to get supplies in as the businesses supplying them are squeezed in the current economic climate.
Council Public Protection Portfolio Holder Cllr David Elvidge said food banks which already struggled after a fall in donations during the coronavirus pandemic now had to meet rising demand.
It comes as the cabinet backed giving local food banks £200,000 as part of a £500,000 cost of living support package unveiled yesterday (Tuesday 11th October).
It also includes £200,000 to insulate 1,000 homes in the next year and £100,000 for local charities and volunteers to help them respond to the cost of living crisis.
Communities Director Paul Bellotti told East Riding Council’s Cabinet a task force with representatives from across the authority’s services had been formed to come up with more ideas for help.
Cllr Owen said the programmes announced at the cabinet meeting today were a starting point because the crisis was not going away.
It follows a warning to the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board last month the crisis was expected to get worse.
Council officials and local organisations are set to meet in Bridlington in November to see what else they can do to help households.
The cabinet heard today that energy debts were now the most common reason people sought help with local Citizens Advice service, compared to council tax arrears previously.
Councillors also heard local food banks provided 30,000 meals in the last 12 months, along with 10,000 parcels.
The £500,000 in funding comes from £4.4m that was taken from previously unspent money to use for cost of living support on top of that coming from the Government.
Mr Bellotti told councillors the insulation programme was designed to reduce energy bills in the long term and it would also help slow climate change down.
But he added insulation would only be available for walls with existing cavities but external insulation could be looked at in the future.
Cllr Owen said the funding for charities should built on links forged during the coronavirus pandemic while money for food banks recognised they also needed help.
He added the three programmes should be seen as a starting point and more would be coming in the near future.
The leader said: “We can’t always wait for the next intervention from the Government.
“The Government has reacted quickly but we have an obligation to do what we can as well.
“This issue isn’t going to go away, we’re going to have to live with it for the time being.
“We want to try and create a situation where we don’t need food banks but unfortunately we’re in a situation where we do need them.
“Anything we can do to support that is the right thing to do, they’re stuggling to get supplies in because their suppliers are struggling as well.”
Cllr Elvidge said he had spoken to food banks who had been struggling since the pandemic.
The cabinet member said: “Food banks saw a drop in donations and lost staff during coronavirus.
“No that’s coupled with the unprecedented impact the war in Ukraine’s having.”