A church in the heart of a working class Edinburgh community has shared the harrowing hardship that local residents are facing during the current cost of living crisis.
Liz Henderson, the minister at Richmond Craigmillar Church, says that there are a number of people that use their Fair Share service and church café, from young and old, to individuals and families as well as people of all faiths and nationalities. But the minister, who has worked in the community for 25 years, said that the services they have always run in Craigmillar and Niddrie are now facing unprecedented levels of use.
Before the church would support 20-30 people a week with help for food or basic necessities but now that number is more than 60 with emergency referrals from local schools, doctors and health visitors coming in regularly.
READ MORE: East Lothian man finds injured seal pup washed up on popular beach
But despite the hardship, Liz says that the local area is immensely empowering with the way that they all come together to support one another. Whether that is neighbours ensuring that those who are without food, but are too proud to visibly queue, have supplies delivered to their door.
Or neighbours opening up their homes so that others can stay warm or use electricity during the recent hike in gas and electric prices. She adds that the traditional feeling of neighbourly love is very much alive in the community and that more affluent households across the capital could learn from the generosity of Craigmillar and Niddrie.
But with that being said, the minister, who stated that she is not political, added that the situation in society today angers her as so many people have been forced into a position of desperation.
“There are several things we do to help combat food poverty in the area but our main effort is Fair Share Thursdays which we have run for many years. People come in and pay £3 and are able to get fifteen items for that”, the minister said.
“For £3 you can get enough to get through the week but only if you are living frugally. We get most of our items from Cyrennians and supermarkets but we also get in fresh food like eggs, cheese and bread for users.
“We have run these tables throughout most of my ministry here but there is a whole new impetus in recent times. The numbers using the service have doubled with around 60 people coming to us weekly.
“On top of that we have a lot of referrals from local schools, doctors or health visitors to prepare emergency packages for those who may be struggling. We sometimes have the school get in touch with us to let us know that a family may need a bit of help through the weekend.
“Our earliest member of the queue is outside the church at 8:40am even though we do not open until 10:00am. In the past people would not really like to admit that they were struggling but you are seeing people coming in now and being more open about their money not stretching to the end of the week.
“Although people in our community are very proud and maybe do not want to be seen queuing up outside for food or do not want to ask for help. But that is where the neighbourly love comes in and others will fill up a bag for them to make sure they are not without.
“We had someone come into the church the other week there and they said that on their street, everyone makes sure that others are looked after. If someone is without something that they need, then the rest of the community comes together to help.
“I think those of us who live with more could learn from this show of love and support. Even though there are many without in this community, they share what little they have and look after one another.”
Despite the efforts of the church, their volunteers and the residents of Niddrie and Craigmillar, times are still considered to be relatively desperate. Liz says that the church has had to adapt and are now having to ensure they have microwavable foods as users are sometimes without basic cooking facilities like an oven.
The minister says that a lot of people come to them from nearby B&Bs and that their only means of cooking is via the microwave. Other households have seen their ovens break and are unable to afford to replace the appliance so are again reliant solely on microwaves to cook for their families.
In order to encourage people to come through their doors and use their Fair Share service, Liz and the church put a focus on recycling and trying to make the environment as welcoming as possible.
“I am not a political person but it makes me angry that people have been allowed to find themselves in this position in a rich society. Those of us that are lucky need to understand how difficult it is mentally to have to ask for assistance.
“It has become particularly difficult for the poorest in our society to be able to eek out their money across the week. We find that food is the thing that suffers with the rise in energy prices amongst other charges.
“We have shut our eyes to the struggles a bit as a society but there is a fear that exists in our community, especially when it comes to heating. I personally know of people who are sitting wrapped in blankets in their house.
“There is an effort here not to objectify people who are struggling and to avoid saying ‘oh isn’t that sad.’ People in this community do not want pity as they do everything that they can to make ends meet and cannot do any more.
“We have hundreds through our doors every week but accept that we do not even begin to touch the surface of dealing with poverty in our community. People in the 21st century should not be worrying about keeping themselves warm or what is the cheapest brand of beans or even whether their pasta meal is giving their child enough nutrition.
“There are people in this area who are suffering that should not be and we need more people to want to share with their neighbour, not because it makes them feel good, but because they should feel it is not right that they have so much whilst others have so little.
“Our aim is to have people come to us due to the focus on community, dignity and justice. They are doing a great thing by not letting all of this food go to waste and recycling, it is nothing to be ashamed of.”
There are a variety of cultures that visit the church and Liz adds that there is also an educational element that comes out of the Fair Share service. She says that the community learns from one another and how to get the most out of the items that they can buy.
As well as offering the £3 food service, the church also runs a café that they hope to open for a couple of hours, four days a week in order to offer free soup and a cosy friendly environment. The Fair Share service is available from 10:00am-11:00am every Thursday at Richmond church on Niddrie Mains Road.
You can learn more about the services through their website here.
READ NEXT:
East Lothian town named as the top staycation site to visit in Scotland
Edinburgh locals in awe as dancers take over St James Quarter with huge ceilidh
Edinburgh police pull over car and discover driver is an international fugitive
Edinburgh restaurants become first in UK to serve Sam Heughan's whisky
Edinburgh Christmas Market opening delayed as huge queue forms in Princes Street
