New data from the Trussell Trust reveals that, while foodbanks across the county distributed 3,000 fewer parcels this year compared to 2023, thousands of people still rely on their support.
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00:00And as those latest inflation figures signal a growing strain on household budgets,
00:04Kent food banks are preparing for a challenging winter.
00:07New data from the Trussell Trust reveals that while food banks across the county
00:10distributed 3,000 fewer parcels this year compared to 2023,
00:15thousands of people still rely on their support.
00:18With the cold weather setting in and Christmas fast approaching,
00:21Finn McDermott's been to Gravesham and Medway to uncover how local charities
00:25are managing the increased demand.
00:28Some think that food banks are only accessed by a select few,
00:31but more and more people require the service to give them and their families the food they need.
00:36New statistics released by the Trussell Trust,
00:38a charity that supports food banks across the country,
00:41show that more than 18,000 parcels of food were distributed in five months in Kent,
00:46and according to the banks themselves,
00:48demand for them is increasing as part of a long-term trend.
00:52Every year, tens of thousands of parcels of food are being delivered from right here in Kent,
00:58and even though statistics show that the slow increase is starting to flatline in 2024,
01:03they're telling me they're still struggling to keep up with demand.
01:06In 2018, a total of 9,000 parcels were delivered between April and September,
01:11but in 2023 that had more than tripled to 21,000.
01:16I went to Gravesend Food Bank and spoke to David, who'd worked there for 13 years.
01:21Yeah, we need donations, we need financial, especially financial support.
01:26People think a food bank is only food. No, we've got overheads, we've got staff.
01:31We are not really being sponsored, and at the moment, one of our main sponsors,
01:39they're struggling to talk about a new grant, and that grant ends in February next year,
01:44and if we lose that funding, I don't know how we're going to stay open.
01:47While Gravesend Food Bank was struggling to keep up with demand,
01:50being the main supplier in their area, Medway's food bank runs under a food voucher system,
01:55and distributes food from their main warehouse out to nine different community hubs across the towns.
02:00Well, just in the last few months, there has been a slight decline in demand.
02:05We have sufficient stock at the moment, donations have stayed steady,
02:09so we're obviously very pleased and grateful for the generosity of people in Medway for that,
02:14but we're incredibly busy. We have nearly double the demand that we had back in 2019.
02:21Medway makes up a third of the total number of parcels delivered to the entirety of Kent,
02:26with more than 6,000 between April and September this year.
02:29Mike told us that the lack of affordable housing in Medway, and the inflation of the cost of living,
02:34was impacting the livelihoods of people in the Medway towns, leaving them with less money for
02:38food. Now, with inflation rising to its highest in six months, charities will worry that more
02:44might not be able to afford the groceries they need, and put further strain on the service.
02:48Finn McDermid for KMTV.