Mid Norfolk Foodbank has seen its busiest summer holiday period in its 11-year history, although donations have fallen since last year.
Emergency food parcels distributed rose by 62% during the 6-week school holidays with many more families needing its service than in previous years.
“The figures are quite startling,” said Operations Manager Suzanne Bushby, pictured right. “In the same 6-week period last year we gave out 128 food parcels. This year that number has risen to 206. Alarmingly, within those figures the number of children fed has risen from 143 to 274.”
It has been an extremely busy summer for the service. The summer food drive in the three Tesco stores in the region was a great success, collecting 1.7 tonnes of food. However, those donations were given out to foodbank users within the first 2 weeks of the school holidays.
Total food distributed this school holiday amounted to 4.6 tonnes, but donations have fallen by 1.1 tonnes (25%) over the 6-week holiday period as the economic situation continues to hit people’s pockets.
“The people of mid Norfolk have always been very generous, but the cost of living crisis is most certainly having an impact on our donation levels so we’re appealing to people not to forget us and to give whatever they can afford to help us provide emergency food parcels through the autumn and winter.”
There are collection bins as you exit Tesco stores in Dereham, Swaffham and Fakenham – Mid Norfolk Foodbank is the store’s chosen charity for which the foodbank is very grateful. People can also donate at smaller stores across the region and these are listed on the foodbank’s website, along with an up-to-date list of the items that are urgently needed.
The photo of the Dereham distribution centre is courtesy of Mid Norfolk Foodbank.
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Tony Rothe, 12/09/2023
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