In Cameron's Cotswolds in the PM's own constituency, a food bank is alarmingly busy
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| A local Food bank. |
In
December of 2012, I wrote in this Blog under the heading of, “In
2013, Foodbanks will feed more than 200,000 people in the UK”. I
was wrong.
Before the
end of April of this year, 2013, the figure had already reached
300,000 and now as we draw to the end of 2013, the figure is close to
700,000, who are regularly reliant on Foodbank charities. The Trussell
Trust , the biggest of the Food Bank providers, reports that their
charity alone is now feeding more than 300,000. The number of smaller
providers, operating in towns and villages around the country, has
more than doubled in the past 12 months and make a valuable
contribution to the growing struggle against hunger and hardship.
However,
the projection for next year, predicts that by the end of 2014, more
than 1 million people will have been referred to the Trussell Trust
for help. The thousands of people who will visit the other charities
will clearly push this figure close to 1.5 million, who but for the
compassion of others would be destitute.
The
Trussell trust alone has launched more than 400 Food Banks since 2004
and during the course of next year plans to open another 100 outlets
in the UK. This, coupled with other providers opening new units, will
help with the problem, but the prospect of a growing need for
assistance is evident.
The “think
tank” the New Economics Foundation, reports that living standards
in Britain, have seen the biggest drop since Victorian times.This is
clearly a significant fator in the growth of Food Bank referals and
no doubt, the rise in the number of loan shark “Payday loan”
companies all reporting huge increases in their business activities
and of course their profits. Usury provides good returns on the desperation of people.
Successive
governments, but in particular this present ConDem coalition, must
accept responsibility and blame for this current crisis in our
society. The policies in Welfare reforms and cuts in government
expenditure, coupled with years of pay “restraint” while prices
of food, energy, essential communities and other household costs have
been allowed to rip ahead, have resulted in conditions, unprecedented
in this country.
Next
Wednesday, it will be Christmas day and no doubt many will be
enjoying the seasonal mixture of turkey, roast potato, cranberry
sauce and all the usual trappings associated with the festivities
followed by further indulgences during the remainder of the holiday.
Other,
less fortunate families will be having their meals as a result of the
charity of others, contributing food and essentials at collection
points in supermarkets, shops and hundreds of other locations in towns
and villages around the country.
We should
all spare a thought for this situation, and remember how it has come
about and how it is continuing to grow.
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