A Newcastle foodbank has been hailed as a “lifesaver” by locals who rely on it, after new figures revealed the shocking scale of need across the city.
The West End Foodbank issued 39% more food parcels in the past 12 months than the previous year, a whopping 287 tonnes of essential items to help its users survive the cost of living crisis. A record number of emergency packages have been handed out across the UK, with the Trussell Trust charity confirming that the North East has suffered the greatest spike in deprivation of any region.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at a foodbank drop-in session at the Venerable Bede Church on the West Road this week, struggling service users opened up about the impact of rising prices. Kevin Seath has been using the foodbank for a couple of months, and came seeking help after the death of his mother led him to suffer mental health problems and turn to alcohol.
