Food banks see demand double in parts of Shropshire

The food bank in Oswestry has seen its clients double.

In 2013/13 Oswestry and borders food bank gave out 563 food vouchers, fed 1,236 people and handed out 12,225kgs of food.

But in 2013/14 some 1,054 food vouchers were given out, 2,526 people were fed and it handed out 24,501kgs of food.

Phil Simpson, a spokesman for Oswestry and Borders food bank said: "I can tell you that the number of people receiving help from us has doubled.

"It's my estimation, that over the past two months, the amount of people using our services has evened out, but it's still at a very high number."

And Oswestry is not alone in the sharp rise.

Ruth Davies, who administers food parcels at the scheme run at the Ludlow Baptist Church, said the demand at the remains high and has not dropped.

She said currently they are on track to hit the same amount, but because they have surges in July and August the number of users is likely to exceed the 260 people they served last year.

Shrewsbury food bank at Barnabas Community Church also said they were likely to smash last years records.

A new food bank in Whitchurch has served over 500 people since it was set up in September last year, a demand which its organisers never expected to face.

Alan Scutt, chairman of the Whitchurch food bank said when the food bank was being set up a lot of research had been done into deprivation in Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.

He said: "People would say to us it's a great idea but it it not needed in this area.

"But people don't always see what happens outside their front doors, and to be honest we probably didn't expect to see the levels of use that we are. We didn't expect it to be this high."

Those who run food banks say the demand is due to the rises in the cost of food and fuel, static incomes, high unemployment and changes to benefits.

The only area which has seen a decrease in food bank uses is in Telford.

Jake Bennett, project co-ordinator for the Telford Food Bank, said: "We are seeing a reducing number of people come into the food bank and that has been the case for the last six months."

The Trussell Trust which is responsible for a large proportions of food banks in the UK have said Shropshire is in line with a national pattern as they themselves have seen a rise and in 2013/14 its food banks fed 913,138 people nationwide, and of those helped, 330,205 were children.

Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, Citizens Advice Bureau and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a food bank voucher.

Food banks partner with a wide range of care professionals who are best placed to assess need and make sure that it is genuine.

This weekend Tesco stores are running a neighbourhood collection for its local food banks.

Today and tomorrow people are invited to go to their local Tesco and donate any food they can to the cause.