Data released by the Trussel Trust has shown a 30 per cent increase in the number of food parcels being handed out across Sheffield's S6Foodbank network.
Between April and September 2023, over 30,000 parcels were distributed to families in the city. It is a time period where foodbanks expect demand to drop slightly as money is saved on utility bills over summer.
Harry Harrison spoke with Chris Hardy about the new figures.
Between April and September 2023, over 30,000 parcels were distributed to families in the city. It is a time period where foodbanks expect demand to drop slightly as money is saved on utility bills over summer.
Harry Harrison spoke with Chris Hardy about the new figures.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Prices remain high and wallets remain tight.
00:04 More and more people in Sheffield are struggling to make ends meet
00:07 and are turning to others for help.
00:09 Last week new data from food bank networks in the Trestle Trust
00:14 revealed a national rise in demand on food banks and here in Sheffield
00:18 the Essex Food Bank is dealing with one of the country's highest leaps.
00:23 It's difficult to see the amount of families in Sheffield struggling to meet ends meet
00:27 and them feeling that they're not giving their best to their kids.
00:32 I mean that's heartbreaking.
00:34 Every community are struggling with people just at the cost of living crisis
00:39 as prices have gone up and inflation's high and mortgage repayments have gone up.
00:43 I mean it's the perfect storm really of people not being able to make ends meet
00:48 and there's going to be some game.
00:49 If your wages aren't meeting the cost of inflation
00:52 or the cost of what your supermarket shop is then there's a real issue with that.
00:56 Between April and September this year the Essex Food Bank network
01:00 handed out nearly 35,000 food parcels to families across Sheffield.
01:05 It's nearly 30% higher than the six months directly before.
01:09 A real shock to the system when food banks expect demand to drop over the summer months
01:14 as people save on utility bills.
01:17 Yet the rising prices aren't just affecting individual families.
01:21 As Chris told me cash is king and Essex are relying on donations
01:26 to help them buy food in.
01:28 Previously Chris would be able to obtain 26 pallets of food for £16,000
01:33 but now that can be as high as £25,000.
01:37 Currently Essex are okay.
01:39 They're meeting demand with stock to last until just before Christmas.
01:43 But it just leads to the question what happens to our most vulnerable
01:48 if the support network falls?