Morecambe Bay Foodbank kept up with rising need for emergency food thanks to 'incredible' community support

In December, twenty tonnes of food was donated in the Morecambe and Lancaster area, ensuring that local people in crisis, unable to afford the basics, didn’t go hungry.

Like many other food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network, the charity finds that whilst December is the busiest month of the year, the need for emergency help remains high throughout the year.

Following a busy winter, the food bank is asking local people to check what food items they’re most in need of and to donate all year round.

The food bank provided 7,539 three-day emergency food parcels to people in crisis between April and September last year, of which 3,144 went to children.

Annette Smith, Foodbank Manager at Morecambe Bay Foodbank said: “No one in the Morecambe and Lancaster area should need a food bank’s help and we want to see an end to local people needing emergency food at all.

"But in the last year, more and more people needed support so whilst our help is still needed, we will ensure people referred receive a non-judgmental welcome, space to be heard and the best support possible.

“We couldn’t keep the food bank’s doors open without the generosity of local people. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated food, money or time to offer some help and hope to people when it is most needed.

"We have seen an incredible response from people across the Morecambe and Lancaster area in December and are so grateful for, and humbled by, your generosity.”

Morecambe Bay Foodbank is now backing calls from the Trussell Trust for the new government to match the public’s commitment with urgent policy change, by using the forthcoming Budget on March 11 to ensure that the benefits system can support people who need it by ending the five-week wait for Universal Credit, ensuring benefit payments cover the cost of living and investing in local emergency support for people in crisis

Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “Food banks were truly overwhelmed by the level of generosity from the public in the run up to Christmas. These donations show communities and individuals, driven by compassion and justice, are doing what they can to help people facing hunger, but no charity can replace the dignity of having enough money to buy your own food.

“We know this can change. It’s now time for our new Chancellor to do his part in the forthcoming Budget and match these acts of compassion by doing the right thing and putting money back into the pockets of people who most need support.

“It’s in our power as a country to end the need for food banks. To reach that future, we need to make sure everyone has enough money for the essentials. The government’s first priority must be ensuring our benefits system anchors us all from the rising tide of poverty by ending the five-week wait for Universal Credit.”

Morecambe Bay Foodbank is most in need of the following items:

Tinned tomatoes

Pot noodles

Instant mash potato

Sponge puddings

Long-life fruit juice

For up-to-date lists of urgently needed food, information about where donations can be left and to contact the food bank about possible collection points, visit https://morecambebay.foodbank.org.uk/ or search Facebook or Twitter for ‘Morecambe Bay Foodbank’.