“Our country is struggling” Why Portsmouth’s food banks need YOUR support this Christmas
It is a worrying time for all under the current financial climate, small businesses are being closed, bills are rising, jobs are being lost and food is becoming more expensive, with 91% of adults in Britain reporting an increase in their cost of living through October and November as Christmas time approaches.
Christmas is usually a joyful time for many, a time for family, fun and festivities, but in 2022 there is a deep concern and worry amongst Britain’s people, who are questioning how on earth to afford it.
A fun but expensive time of year, 60% of adults asked in a recent YouGov survey said they would be spending less on the festive period this year compared to last, as a direct consequence of the cruel impacts of the cost of living crisis.
With festive food being so important on Christmas, many people are looking for alternatives in their shopping habits, or turning to food banks, like Portsmouth resident, Sarah Willis.
Willis, 43, lives in Portsmouth with her children, and explained to us why she uses her local food bank in Somers Rd, Southsea:
“I started using the food bank because of circumstances at work that meant I got less shifts every month, and therefore less money to bring home.
“I work at a cafe that is run independently and it has been open for less hours than usual this year since COVID and now due to the prices rising in England, meaning I have been looking for work elsewhere to get more hours.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of business closures in the UK in January to March of 2022 was 137,210, a figure 23% higher than in 2021.
ONS have said that rising energy and food costs have more bearing on the inflation rate experienced by low-income households, as a greater proportion of their expenditure is spent on them compared with high-income households.
“It has been a massive help in finding things to make cheap meals for me and my kids” Willis added, “everyone who works here voluntarily is amazing and very welcome, they don’t make you feel embarrassed about things if you know what I mean. I wish I had come here sooner because it has helped that much.”
Between April and September of 2022, food banks in the Trussell Trust’s UK-wide network distributed 1.3 million food parcels to people facing hardship, an increase of 52% compared to the same period in 2019. A striking figure of half a million of these parcels were distributed to children.
After hearing the reasons why Willis used her local food bank, she went on to her express her anxieties heading into Christmas:
“I am worried and I am sure many others are, usually you might have had a few quid over Christmas to spend in previous years, but I’m sure that’s not the case now across this area. I have kids who need presents and a decent bit of festive food.”
And it seems Portsmouth Food Bank is doing all they can to support those in need, with Willis adding, “I have spoken to the volunteers here and they are doing their best to get in stuff people can take for Christmas a few days before.”
Portsmouth Food Bank relies on the “goodwill and support” of its donors stating that over 90% of the food distributed by food banks in The Trussell Trust network is donated by the public.
One of those donors is volunteer and Portsmouth resident, Stuart Bennett, who explained his reasons for giving so often: “People like me donate what we can to help others, and I think many volunteers are people who are giving back to places that helped them previously in their lives too.
He added, “In my job I travel around the south of England a lot so I tend to drop off food and different food banks, Portsmouth being one. I like to check in on different food banks to make sure I can do whatever is needed to help them, whether it be donations of money or food.”
Mr Bennett shared a clever way that he approaches his donations, explaining how he shops at “cheaper” supermarkets such as ASDA and Morrisons rather than “more expensive” shops like M&S, and the money that he saves in doing so buys food for the food banks.
“I’d love to see more people in my fortunate position trying to do the same”, Bennett said, “because our country is struggling, and being in Portsmouth now, I know that this food bank has lots of demand.”
Donating to food banks has never been so crucial, and according to the UK Parliament, food bank networks have reported increased demand and falling food donations in the first half of 2022, putting more stress on those volunteers across the country who are working so hard to feed the nation.
You can find out how to donate to Portsmouth Food Bank HERE. It is quick, easy and simple, and your help could change the lives of others in need this Christmas.