Though the school holidays are only just beginning, a Kirklees food bank is facing “crisis-level” demand.
As the school year comes to a close and children look forward to six weeks of fun, it is clear that many families in the area are struggling to put food on the table. One local organisation which helps those in need has declared it their “busiest” summer for years.
Tanisha Bramwell, a Kirklees councillor and founder of Bramwell’s Hope – a charity running several community programmes and a food bank – has spoken of the gravity of the situation foodbanks are experiencing. She said: “This summer has been the busiest we’ve experienced in years and quite frankly, it’s frightening.
“Typically, our highest demand comes between September and January, when colder weather, rising energy bills, and Christmas pressures push struggling families to the edge. But this year, we’re seeing crisis-level demand right at the start of the summer holidays.
“We’ve already begun preparing for winter, because we know what’s coming and yet we’re overwhelmed now, with months still to go. The reality is, food banks like ours are operating hand to mouth. We’re not stockpiling, we’re surviving week by week, just like the people we support.
“We’re seeing a sharp increase in working families needing help, people in employment, doing their best, who simply can’t afford food after covering rent, bills, and childcare over the school holidays.
“We’ve had parents breaking down in our reception area, unable to cope, unsure how to get through the next week. This isn’t about poor budgeting. This is about a cost of living crisis that continues to hit the most vulnerable hardest, while support services are shrinking.
“Food banks were never meant to be a long-term solution, and yet we’ve become the last line of defence for thousands of people and that line is under serious pressure. Unless we see urgent action locally and nationally to tackle poverty, improve access to support, and fund services properly, we are going to face an incredibly difficult winter.”
Another organisation working to make food more accessible to those in Kirklees is The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT). TBBT redistributes surplus food from supermarkets, factories and farms, with members able to purchase shopping bags filled with a minimum of £35-worth of quality nutritious food for just £7.50.
Kirklees has several TBBT hubs including at Cowlersley, Crosland Moor, Berry Brow, Dalton, Sheepridge, Thornhill Lees, Chickenley, Heckmondwike, Howden Clough and Liversedge. To find out more information, you can visit: https://www.breadandbutterthing.org/
Aside from the work of foodbanks and charitable organisations, Kirklees Council has a number of initiatives designed to help those struggling with the cost of living. These include help with food and energy costs through the Household Support Fund, free school meals for eligible pupils and short-term help with rent for those experiencing severe financial hardship.
More information about the support available through the council can be found here: https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/cost-of-living/index.aspx
