NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Food Poverty Network is calling on members of the general public to urgently support its local food bank or food project. The network’s members, including charities and community groups tackling food poverty, are struggling with an ever-increasing demand for their services.
Rachel McGrath of the Network said: “With an alarming increase in demand on services, local food projects urgently need our help. We’ve therefore put together a short film to highlight the current need and positively promote the work of local agencies supporting people in crisis in and around Northamptonshire. Hopefully people watching it online will feel compelled to help in some way. All contact details for local food aid projects are available on our website.”
The network is asking people to donate or volunteer to support the activities of local groups supporting people in crisis and in poverty. A new campaign video highlights four key food aid projects and the realities of what people are facing and why their services are needed. This includes the Hope Food Club and Shop Zero, based in Northampton, Northampton Food Bank and Kettering Community Unit. The projects show the increasing need for their services as mainly due to low and insecure wages impacted by zero hour contracts and an inadequate welfare safety net including ongoing problems with Universal Credit.
Already paving the way for supporting their local food projects is community group the Earls Barton Music Project (EBM) which has recently raised nearly £3,000 for the Daylight Centre, a Wellingborough-based food bank to help with its work and the Food Plate in Earls Barton.
Ian Thompson who is a Trustee of EBM said: ‘We have benefited in the past from Northamptonshire Community Foundation grants. Now it’s pay-back time, which we embrace enthusiastically, thanks to the generosity of our members. My wife and I always buy something to go into the food bin on a weekly basis at our local supermarket. Helping others in time of need is very important especially those of us who are better off.”
According to the Social Metrics Commission around 8.4 million working-age adults, 4.5 million children and 1.4 million pension-age adults are living in poverty in the UK.
If anyone wishes to help they can find the video and more details on local food aid projects at www.ncf.uk.com/about-us/community-leadership/nfpn