Food bank feeds record number in December

West Berkshire charity provided food to 595 people in one month alone

WEST Berks Food Bank fed the highest number of people in its history last December.

The charity fed a total of 595 people in December 2018, an increase of more than 40 per cent on a like-for-like basis on the previous year.

People living on low incomes were found to be the biggest contributor behind the increase, with the number of people in this category soaring to 335 in December 2018 – more than double the 117 clients of this type the charity fed in the same month in 2017.

The charity has also recorded a 61 per cent rise in the number of ‘single’ individuals using the food bank.

West Berks Food Bank’s chairman Andrew Bruce said the majority of ‘singles’ relying on the district’s food bank network were those aged between 25 and 63.

In many cases, Mr Bruce added, these were victims of Britain’s so-called ‘gig economy’ – a phrase increasingly used to describe a labour market characterised by the prevalence of short-term, ‘zero-hour’ contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent work.

Instead of a regular wage, workers get paid for the ‘gigs’ they do, such as a food delivery or a car journey.

Over a 12-month period from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, West Berks Food Bank fed 2,791 clients.

Last November, the food bank – which has five branches across the district – surpassed that figure in just 34 weeks.

The charity has since exceeded that number and has fed more than 3,738 people in the current financial year.

Supporting clients who are transferring across to Universal Credit – the largest welfare reform in a generation – has been identified as the main driver behind the rise in foodbank usage across the district.

Mr Bruce claimed the charity’s December figures served as a reminder that the demand for food banks was still very real.

Mr Bruce said: “There has been a change and the change is very noticeable.

“The need is still there, it’s still growing – this is the highest number of people we’ve ever fed over one Christmas period.

“We see a lot of young people using the food bank who are looking for jobs, those people who cannot hold down jobs and who have been caught up in this big term called the ‘gig economy’.

“We’re also seeing a lot of people who can’t get proper benefits.”

Mr Bruce was also keen to praise the “very generous” donors who provided vital food to the charity over the festive season, which had placed the charity’s stocks in a “healthy situation” at the start of 2019.

Mr Bruce added: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our donors.

“In December 2018, we handed out over five tonnes of food.

“We’ve managed to feed everybody over Christmas and to also have food remaining in store to feed the growing number of clients, many of whom are experiencing hardships, including Universal Credit.”