Thousands of food parcels handed to Chichester families in six months

The high levels of need were between April and September 2022, leading Chichester District Foodbank to believe that this year will be the toughest winter yet as the cost of living continues to rise.

Joanne Kondabeka, CEO at Chichester District Foodbank, said: “We saw a three per cent increase in people coming to us for emergency food this summer compared to the same period last year. This figure would have been higher had the government not provided cost-of-living payments to people on a low income but this clearly didn’t go far enough.

“Single parent families have been the most affected across the Chichester District. We have seen a 102 per cent increase of single parent families accessing our services between April and September 2022 compared to the same period last year.

“There is always less need for emergency food during the summer, but since the beginning of October we have already seen a staggering 66 per cent increase compared to the same period last in 2021. 58 per cent of people who came to us between April and September 2022 were on a low income. Not only those receiving benefits but also those who were working and struggling with the spiralling cost of living. Most were struggling to pay the increased cost for utilities, fuel and food. Despite trying to budget, they simply did not have enough money to meet the costs.

“As the winter draws in, many will face the decision of whether to heat their homes or buy food.

"We are grateful for our local communities continued support as we try to respond to this escalating crisis.

“As well as needing food donations, fundraising support and volunteers, we are struggling with space in our current warehouse. We are currently looking for a warehouse of approximately 250m² so that we can store the volume of food we will need to support those in crisis this winter.”

Chichester District Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust’s network, which has reported record levels of need in recent months – with more than 1.3 million emergency food parcels given to people struggling to afford essentials between April and September 2022. Almost half a million of these parcels went to children.

The charity has warned that food banks are at ‘breaking point’, both physically and mentally, and are set to face the hardest winter yet as many expect to provide more than 7,000 emergency food parcels a day on average in the next six months.

Research recently published by the Trussell Trust revealed that during August 2022, more than two million people had skipped meals across the previous three months to keep up with essential costs. In addition, 38 per cent of people said they’d gone a whole day with no food at all or just one meal, in the last month, because they couldn’t afford to buy enough food.

Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “These new statistics show that, even in summer months, people are struggling to afford the essentials and we are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support. This is not right.

“We know that with the right support and a stable and sufficient income, people don’t need to turn to food banks for support. Over the last few years, the government has acted to protect people who are struggling, and this action has made a difference. They must now act again: with swift support now to help people through the winter, and with vision for the longer-term to ensure that social security is always enough to weather challenging times.

“We are calling for the Prime Minister to act decisively in next week’s budget. We urge the UK government to realise their commitment of supporting people on the lowest income with a broad package of support. As well as ensuring that benefits rise with inflation as soon as possible, this must go further to close the gap between price rises and incomes over the winter.”

To support Chichester District Foodbank, visit: chichesterdistrict.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/