As inflation hits six month high, Kent's food banks call for more public support

KentOnline / KMTV

New data from the Trussell Trust reveals that, while foodbanks across the county distributed 3,000 fewer parcels this year compared to 2023, thousands of people still rely on their support.

Transcript

00:00And as those latest inflation figures signal a growing strain on household budgets,

00:04Kent food banks are preparing for a challenging winter.

00:07New data from the Trussell Trust reveals that while food banks across the county

00:10distributed 3,000 fewer parcels this year compared to 2023,

00:15thousands of people still rely on their support.

00:18With the cold weather setting in and Christmas fast approaching,

00:21Finn McDermott's been to Gravesham and Medway to uncover how local charities

00:25are managing the increased demand.

00:28Some think that food banks are only accessed by a select few,

00:31but more and more people require the service to give them and their families the food they need.

00:36New statistics released by the Trussell Trust,

00:38a charity that supports food banks across the country,

00:41show that more than 18,000 parcels of food were distributed in five months in Kent,

00:46and according to the banks themselves,

00:48demand for them is increasing as part of a long-term trend.

00:52Every year, tens of thousands of parcels of food are being delivered from right here in Kent,

00:58and even though statistics show that the slow increase is starting to flatline in 2024,

01:03they're telling me they're still struggling to keep up with demand.

01:06In 2018, a total of 9,000 parcels were delivered between April and September,

01:11but in 2023 that had more than tripled to 21,000.

01:16I went to Gravesend Food Bank and spoke to David, who'd worked there for 13 years.

01:21Yeah, we need donations, we need financial, especially financial support.

01:26People think a food bank is only food. No, we've got overheads, we've got staff.

01:31We are not really being sponsored, and at the moment, one of our main sponsors,

01:39they're struggling to talk about a new grant, and that grant ends in February next year,

01:44and if we lose that funding, I don't know how we're going to stay open.

01:47While Gravesend Food Bank was struggling to keep up with demand,

01:50being the main supplier in their area, Medway's food bank runs under a food voucher system,

01:55and distributes food from their main warehouse out to nine different community hubs across the towns.

02:00Well, just in the last few months, there has been a slight decline in demand.

02:05We have sufficient stock at the moment, donations have stayed steady,

02:09so we're obviously very pleased and grateful for the generosity of people in Medway for that,

02:14but we're incredibly busy. We have nearly double the demand that we had back in 2019.

02:21Medway makes up a third of the total number of parcels delivered to the entirety of Kent,

02:26with more than 6,000 between April and September this year.

02:29Mike told us that the lack of affordable housing in Medway, and the inflation of the cost of living,

02:34was impacting the livelihoods of people in the Medway towns, leaving them with less money for

02:38food. Now, with inflation rising to its highest in six months, charities will worry that more

02:44might not be able to afford the groceries they need, and put further strain on the service.

02:48Finn McDermid for KMTV.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended