Food bank in Ludlow is 'more necessary than ever' as it records another year of being needed

Ludlow Foodbank has given out less food this year as it tries to reduce dependency on the organisation by working with others to help people get other help.

But the Ludlow Food Bank 2023 Annual Report makes similar sobering reading as the number of children needing help rises in line with national trends. Volunteers gave out 669 food parcels in 2023, down from 789 last year.

Ruth Davies, the Ludlow Food Bank coordinator, said: "The reason that we have given out less food, is that we have tried to minimise repeat parcels.

"Our policy is to give a maximum of three food parcels per household in any one year. In certain crisis situations, we can give more.

"We want to reduce dependency on the food bank, and try to work with partner organisations to help people access other help. This has been difficult this year, with the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis."

The number of parcels given out may have gone down but the foodbank helped the same number of individuals as in 2022 some 1,015 people.

"Some of them will be the same individuals each year, but many in 2023 were completely new to the food bank.

"This equates to around 9 per cent of the population."

The foodbank gave out enough food in 2023 to feed 1,610 people for a week or more.

"That is a lot of food - approximately 6,500 standard supermarket bags full of food/toothbrushes/sanitary protection/toilet rolls/nappies and toiletries," said Ruth. "Our main focus is definitely on the food, but we do give out small amounts of other items."

Among the other items given out are nappies.

The annual report also reveals that 134 households have had two food parcels this year, 58 households have had three food parcels, 33 households have had four food parcels, 14 have had five, six have had six, and one household has had eight.

"This family will be encouraged to seek more fundamental help, so that they won’t need so many food parcels," said Ruth.

The largest family type was single parent families (166), followed by single men (156).

They have also helped to feed 551 children this year. And Ruth added: "Unfortunately, this trend is quite common throughout Shropshire, and the whole of the UK."

Reasons for going to the food bank see the main one being financial problems at 70 per cent.

"In previous years more people struggled with delays or problems with their benefits, but the cost of living crisis has affected people who do not receive benefits, as well as people who are in receipt of benefits," she said.

Parcels were also given out to the homeless including rough sleepers and people sleeping and living in a vehicle, “sofa surfers” and people housed at the Travelodges, Ukrainian refuges, and victims of domestic violence who had been placed in emergency accommodation.

The vast majority (80 per cent) of people who came to Ludlow food bank live in Ludlow itself. It provided 40 food parcels to people living in Craven Arms, 18 people living on Clee Hill, 13 in Onibury, and all the rest were to people living in several nearby towns and villages.

"There are food banks in Craven Arms, Leominster, Tenbury Wells, Cleobury Mortimer and further afield," said Ruth.

"Many of these food banks open one day a week, whereas we open for two hours five days a week. Therefore, sometimes people come to us if they have just missed the opening day in their nearest town," said Ruth.

The organisation, which received support from Ludlow Baptist church and draws heavily on volunteers from other churches, and the local community.

Ludlow Foodbank is now a Referrals Only organisation and needs third parties to refer to them so they have a greater assurance that the food parcels are going to the right people.

"It is a difficult balance to strike, one which all food banks struggle with. We really try hard to get it right," said Ruth.

This year they have continued to provide food for cats and dogs. Overall they helped 182 cats and 208 dogs.

"We started to do this when we realised that many pet owners are more concerned about their pet than themselves when they are in financial crisis," said Ruth.

"Often people will feed their pet with food we have provided for the owner.

"Thankfully the Blue Cross have set up a “pet food collection point”, and have kept our stocks at a useful level. Occasionally we have run out of pet food."

Ludlow Food bank has been operating the Ludlow Fuel Poverty Fund for the last few years. This fund has come from kind pensioners who have passed on their Winter Fuel Allowance which is paid to all people over 66. Those who donate to the fuel poverty fund want it to go to people who really need it.

Over the course of the year the food bank spent £51,628.93 but "thankfully" Ruth says "we have had enough money donated to us to enable us to continue to provide generous food parcels, vouchers and fuel poverty payments.

"We are very grateful to the many people who give to us financially on a regular basis."

Ruth adds: "When I look at how much we have done this year, and how much we have spent, I am amazed at how far the food bank has come.

"I remember being shocked when we gave out 240 food parcels in 2013, I hoped at the time that along with Hands Together Ludlow we would be able to make the food bank unnecessary. Unfortunately, it seems that we are more necessary than ever."