Cost of living crisis: Council gives £50,000 to food banks as demand rises
NEED: Food banks are reporting a rising demand as donations fall. Picture by Joel Muniz
By Simon Bristow
Hull City Council is committing £50,000 to support the provision of food for food banks to help households struggling with the cost of living.
The money, from the Household Support Fund, will help to provide food to a network of up to ten key locations to complement existing food provision, with a focus on meeting gaps in ensuring that nutritious food is available.
The authority is working with partners who are prepared to provide additional funding to complement the contribution from the council.
The council works with FareShare, a charitable organisation that redistributes surplus food from supermarkets and other sources to voluntary and community sector organisations.
Both FareShare and independent food banks have reported rising demand at the same time that fewer donations are being received.
Of the food that is being donated, the organisations have reported that there is a shortage of healthy foodstuffs, compared to donations of ultra-processed goods.
They have also reported a dearth of donations suitable for specialist dietary requirements, including a lack of culturally-appropriate foods.
Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council, said: “The cost of living crisis is hitting hard for more and more residents across Hull, and the council is determined to do all it can to help.
“The council is trying to fill some gaps in what is available to support people during these difficult times.
“There needs to be a diversity of food to support all of our residents.
“We know that some people have struggled to consistently get foods appropriate to their culture or specialist medical needs from donations alone.
“This funding will also help some food banks to upgrade their storage facilities, helping them to be able to safely accept and distribute fresh, healthy food.”
More information on Hull food banks is available here.