One in four Swindon foodbank users are people in employment
Malmesbury & District Foodbank covers the wider North Wiltshire area
A foodbank near Swindon says it is seeing rising numbers of people in employment need its services.
Half of Trussell’s Malmesbury & District Foodbank customers are working people and children.
Last year, the charity distributed 18 tonnes of food across North Wiltshire.
Richard Gray, Operations Trustee at Malmesbury & District Foodbank, said: “We're on about 24% of the of our clients who are working, but there's not enough to make ends meet, and especially with the fuel crisis that we're still going through, people are still struggling there.
“I think historically – even a couple years ago – it's not been as high. It's been people on benefits made mainly or even people without any benefits at all and just no income coming in.”
It follows the release of Trussell’s ‘Hunger in the UK’ report which revealed that the number of people in the UK who face hunger went up by 2.5 million since 2022.
According to the report, three in ten (30%) people referred to foodbanks were from working households and more than a quarter (27%) of children live in food insecure households.
“It was not unexpected really. I think it's a fair reflection of what we're seeing”, added Mr Gray.
“We try to help people by signposting them to organisations who can help them so that they don't need to come to us.
“One of the organisations that we use there is Citizens Advice and they are very, very good at helping them put their life in order and giving them budgeting help.
“But sadly, as fast as they help one family out of the situation, a new family is coming in, wanting their support.”
On the bright side, Mr Gray said the foodbank has been seeing an overall decline in demand in recent months.
It had reached its peak at the start of the war in Ukraine when the fuel crisis was at its worst – with the foodbank distributing 30 tonnes of food in one year.
Thanks to the cooperation with Citizens Advice, the number of long-term clients has decreased.
However, they are expecting rising demand again over the winter, but they also know it is not just about food.
“We acknowledge that the people need more than just food. When they come to us, we give them a food parcel, but they can then also choose toiletries, sanitary products and shampoo and we will give them pet food as well because pets are very important to people, too”, explained Mr Gray.
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “This Government is determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence.
“In addition to extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest children don’t go hungry in the holidays with £1billion to reform crisis support, our Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy later this year.
“We are also overhauling jobcentres and reforming the broken welfare system to support people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.”
Donations for Malmesbury & District Foodbank can be dropped off at churches and a number of shops in Malmesbury and Cricklade as well as Sherston Sub Post Office and St Johns Church in Latton.