Dozens of emergency food parcels go to children every week in crisis
Dozens of emergency food parcels have been given to children in Shropshire and Powys every week during the first year of the pandemic.
That’s according to a report by the Trussell Trust showing a record 2.5 million parcels were distributed by its food banks across the UK in 2020-21.
The charity is urgently calling on UK governments to end the need for food banks “once and for all”.
In Shropshire, the charity handed out 11,232 emergency food parcels over the period, and 6,754 in Powys.
Of those handed out in Shropshire, 4,056 went to children, which is equivalent to 78 every week.
Meanwhile in Powys, 2,883 of the parcels went to children – equivalent to 55 every week.
The overall figure, which includes parcels with three or seven days’ worth of supplies, was a 54 per cent increase on the previous year.
Over in Powys, it was more than double the number recorded the previous year.
The charity warned its data does not come close to revealing the full scale of demand across the country, with unprecedented numbers of people being helped by other organisations that sprang up during the pandemic.
“No one should face the indignity of needing emergency food,” said Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust.
“Yet our network of food banks has given out record numbers of food parcels as more and more people struggle without enough money for the essentials.
“This is not right but we know we can build a better future.”
The charity is urging the public to write to their local candidates standing for election on May 6, asking them to commit to working to end the need for food banks if elected.
