9 out of 10 food bank charities fear they can’t meet rise in demand
Melanie May | 28 October 2022 | News
The majority – 89% – of 9,500 food bank charities surveyed by FareShare are worried they cannot meet the extra demand they are seeing as the cost of living crisis escalates.
Over 90% of the 9,500 charities that receive food from FareShare have seen demand rise since January due to the crisis. The majority of those accessing this support are doing so for the first time (73%) despite being fully employed (51%). Charities also say that 60% are families with children.
7 out of 10 charities (71%) also expect to see a further significant increase in demand.
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8 out of 10 say the reason for the increase in demand is people struggling with the cost of food (82%), while 7 out of 10 also point to increasing energy bills, and 5 out of 10 to mental health issues.
This added demand on top of the challenges charities face in times of increased running costs, mean 9 out of 10 charities are worried they cannot meet the extra demand, with a need for access to more food (76%) and funding (64%).
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare UK CEO said:
“The cost of living crisis is driving millions into food insecurity, at a time when food prices are rising, and demand for our surplus food has skyrocketed. What we are hearing from the charities we support is that this situation will only worsen and they are worried they may not be able to meet the extra demand.”
In response, FareShare has launched a fundraising appeal to help get good-to-eat surplus food to people most impacted by the cost of living crisis. The money raised from the appeal will go towards getting food to charities like Charlie’s Angels Kitchens, one of FareShare’s network of grassroots charities which provide wraparound services tackling the root causes of food poverty, and which help people get access to good-to-eat food, that may otherwise go to waste.
In response, FareShare recently launched a fundraising appeal to help get good-to-eat surplus food to those most impacted by the cost of living crisis. The money raised from the appeal will go towards getting food to charities like Charlie’s Angels Kitchens, one of FareShare’s network of grassroots charities which provide wraparound services tackling the root causes of food poverty, and which help people get access to good-to-eat food, that may otherwise go to waste.
Commenting, Charlie’s Angels Kitchens founder, Charlie Moore, said:
“I have seen a lot more people coming along over the past six months, and a lot of them are getting food from us for the first time. I’m starting to see so many more young people coming in who just can’t make ends meet. They’re all working, whether it’s young parents getting food for their family, or a 20-year-old doing in-work training, struggling to afford basic necessities with their last £10 in their bank account. They’re all really concerned about the cost of living crisis, and are relying more and more on the food we get from FareShare.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.