Surrounded by tins of carrots, packets of instant noodles and bags of rice, the volunteers at Perry’s Pantry Foodbank in Didsbury wear coats and keep the door open while they pack food parcels. Anyone is welcome to come inside for a coffee and a chat.
The south Manchester foodbank recently shared a desperate plea on Facebook asking for donations, both cash and food, as they had received more referrals due to the cost of living crisis. This week alone, Perry’s Pantry has had eight new referrals, meaning they now cater to around 50 families a week.
However, Tricia Reilly-Hurst, a trustee of Perry’s Pantry Foodbank believes it is only going to get worse, and expects even more referrals as the reality of the cost of the living increases become apparent in April. “It’s only going to get worse from April, it costs us between £500 and £700 a week now to shop because everything has increased in price and you know, it’s not just 10 pence. There’s been a massive increase.”
