Urgent appeal for donations as Leicester South Foodbank fears for busiest summer ever with increased food bank need during school holidays

Leicester South Foodbank is asking local people to check what donations are most needed in the area, as they prepare for a busy summer with increased need during the school holidays.

In previous years, the rise in the number of families struggling to stretch their money to cover the summer break has left Leicester South Foodbank’s stocks running low for certain items. Now the charity has launched an urgent appeal for food donations ahead of the holidays this year to ensure they can continue to offer emergency help in the community to people in crisis. 

In the last financial year, the food bank, which is part of the Trussell Trust’s network, provided 3,125 three day emergency food supplies to people in need. Of these, 1,147 went to children. 

While donations are vital for helping families during the coming weeks, the Leicester South Foodbank has stressed food banks are not a long-term solution, and more must be done to ensure people have enough money for essentials like food. 

The charity is now backing calls by the Trussell Trust for the Government to tackle delays and gaps in benefits, which affect families’ ability to afford essentials, as a first priority. This includes ending the five week way for a first Universal Credit payment, a key driver of increasing need at food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network. 

More locally, the food bank is urging local families to seek help if they are struggling to afford food this summer, and asks local people able to donate to support their work in the community.

Bruce Harrison Operational Manager, explains:

“No one in Leicester should need a food bank’s help and we want to see an end to local people needing emergency food at all. But more and more people are finding that their income simply won’t stretch to meet the extra pressure of missing free school meals or paying for extra childcare during the holidays.

“We know it doesn’t have to be like this. We’re determined to work alongside other food banks in the Trussell Trust’s network to bring about long-term change to end hunger not only during the holidays, but at any time of year. 

“While we work in the long-term to tackle the reasons why people don’t have enough money, help is here in Leicester. We’re able to offer this crucial support to local people because of the community’s help – we rely on local donations to run the food bank. Any donations of our most-needed items will be invaluable this summer.” 

The food bank is most in need of the following items: 

• Tinned meat or fish
• 1lt UHT milk and juice
• 1lt squash
• Tinned carrotts
• Jam

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://leicestersouth.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/ or search Facebook or Twitter for ‘Leicestersouth foodbank’. 

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Contact:

Bruce Harrison Operational Manager can be reached on [email protected]  or 07912 194783

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