In just 12 months, Knowsley Foodbank fed 240,000 people – an increase of 140,000 from the year prior. The organisation is essential to providing the local community with access to nutritious food via its 5 food banks and 20 food clubs across the Liverpool City Region.
Food Operations Lead, Carolyn Vaughan, said earlier this year: “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people coming to our foodbanks. If someone phones and says they’ve got no food, we can make up a parcel. If there isn’t a food bank open, we can take it to a pick-up point for them.”.
“A lot of the people that we help are in work…their wages just don’t cover their bills. There are people who aren’t well and are paying to get to the hospital with the money they would have spent on food.”.
The annual health report for Knowsley, published last year, revealed the depths of food insecurity that those living in the area are suffering from. Food poverty isn’t an isolated issue, it can lead to a number of additional issues with major impacts on a person’s health; malnutrition, a risk of obesity, lower resilience to viruses and diseases, prolonged recovery times from illnesses, and even a further risk to a child’s life chances as poor living standards at home inevitably work their way into school life. Children have less energy and will end up with worse grades than their peers not in food poverty.
In Knowsley, the struggle against food poverty persists. As the demand for essential provisions continues to increase, it surpasses the available supply of donations, creating a challenging gap to bridge and leaving families, individuals, and vulnerable communities in the area disproportionately affected.
Donations are essential to ensuring each person in need of help receives it. For more on Knowsley Foodbank, see the following: https://knowsley.foodbank.org.uk/.