Demand for Alston Moor’s food bank has “increased enormously”, a meeting of the parish council was told on Monday.
Hazel Hanley, who took over as chair of Alston Moor food bank at the end of last year, said previously the rate of donations to the clients was about one every two months, but since October, it had been one or two a week.
“The demand has increased enormously. I think everybody is aware of the financial situation a lot of people are finding themselves in. They are then having their finances stretched by rising fuel and energy costs as well,” said Mrs Hanley.
She said the food bank was there to help people in financial crisis who have not got enough money to buy themselves the vital food that they need.
Speaking at a meeting of the parish council, Mrs Hanley said there had been a £500 donation from the Alston Moor Business Association as it was winding up, as well as a large donation from the Masons and a £950 Cumbria Community Foundation grant.
“That should keep us going for a while,” said Mrs Hanley.
In order to make the most of private donations which come from people’s taxed income, the food bank is looking to change its constitution so it can run in parallel with charity commission rules and get gift aid.
That adds a further 25 per cent on top of what individuals give. While most food banks get their produce from short life food that has been donated by supermarkets, through an organisation called FareShare, they do a weekly shop at the Co-op which means money that is donated is being kept within the food economy of Alston.
“All of our clients are in receipt of either top up benefits or out of work benefits. About 25 per cent of the clients are between jobs, so their benefits have not come through, and are in a pickle. It is stop-gap measure for them, but for other people it is about not being able to make the money last the month, especially with fuel bills.
“We encourage people not to get into debt, especially high interest debt, just to put food on the table. That is what the food bank is there for. It is from the community for the community,” said Mrs Hanley.
