One food bank partnership handed out 10,000 emergency food parcels for kids in last year

New figures released today by a food bank reveal that nearly 10,000 emergency food parcels were provided to children in the last 12 months.

The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership handed out 25,267 emergency food parcels to people facing hardship across South London in the last year, with 9,634 of these going to children.  

This marks a 15 per cent increase in the number of emergency food parcels distributed from the Lambeth Foodbank Partnership compared to last year.

A user of the food bank who wants to remain anonymous said: “I didn’t think it would be this tough. 

“I’ve been unemployed for some time but I’ve never needed to use a food bank. Everything just costs too much. 

“Without the food and the sim card I got from the food bank I wouldn’t have survived the winter.

“I have a job starting in May so I hope things will get easier for me. I worry for those who don’t have a job.”

The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership is a collaboration between the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank, Waterloo Foodbank and Clapham Park Foodbank. 

Elizabeth Maytom MBE, project lead at the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank said: “We’re upset but not surprised to see yet another increase in the number of people using our Foodbank. 

“People are struggling to afford the basics like electricity and gas and of course the increase in food costs has really hit people. 

“We’re pleased that we have been able to provide a lifeline to so many but are concerned we will soon struggle to keep up with the demand. 

“We’re so grateful for donations made by the local community and we ask for their continued support in this difficult climate.”

The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership is part of the Trussell Trust’s network, which also reports record levels of need in the last 12 months across England, with almost three million emergency food parcels provided between April 2022 and March 2023. 

More than a million of these parcels were provided for children. 

Speaking about the rising need for emergency food, Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell Trust, said:  “The Lambeth Foodbank Partnership was set up to provide short-term support to people in an emergency, they are not a lasting solution to hunger and poverty, and more than three quarters of the UK population agree with us that they should not need to exist.   

“For too long, the people of Lambeth have been going without because social security payments do not reflect life’s essential costs and people are being pushed deeper into hardship as a result.”

The Trussell Trust has joined with Joseph Rowntree Foundation to urge the UK government to embed in law an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ that would make sure Universal Credit payments always, at a minimum, provide enough to the cover cost of essentials such as food, utilities and vital household goods.  

Pictured top: A volunteer working at the Lambeth Foodbank Partnership (Picture: Charlie Clift)