A Newcastle foodbank has handed out thousands more food parcels over the last year as the cost of living crisis hits struggling families.
The West End Foodbank has confirmed that it issued 23,709 parcels in the 12 months to April 2023 – a 39% increase on the previous year. Labour MP Chi Onwurah said the scale of need in the city was “incredibly worrying”.
Nationally, the Trussell Trust charity revealed that a record number of food parcels, nearly three million, have been issued over the last year – more than double the amount distributed five years ago. The West End Foodbank gave out an astonishing 287 tonnes of food from March 31, 2022 to April 1, 2023.
Read More: Callum Wilson reveals family relied on foodbanks as he supports charity feeding people in Gateshead
Its chief executive, John McCorry, said: "Whilst demand for food parcels has risen, through the support of our donors and volunteers we have continued the vital work of helping local people through increasingly difficult times."
Ms Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle Central, added: "It is incredibly worrying to hear of a rise in food parcels being issued by the West End Foodbank. I want to thank the volunteers at the Foodbank who go above and beyond to support people in Newcastle who need help.
“In January, 7.3 million lived in food poverty – each and every one of those have been failed by 13 years of Conservative Government, who crashed the economy leaving the people of Newcastle to pay the price."
The West End Foodbank operates a network of seven welfare hubs in Benwell, Byker, Heaton, Lemington, Newbiggin Hall, West Denton, and the West Road.
According to the Trussell Trust, some 1,139,553 parcels were distributed for children in 2022/23 – compared to 835,879 the previous year and less than 500,000 in 2017/18. The charity said that the North East had the greatest spike of anywhere in the UK – with a 54% rise in the number of food parcels being distributed.
Newcastle United star Callum Wilson has also spoken out this week about how his family had relied on foodbanks when he was young, after paying a visit to the Gateshead Foodbank to help pack emergency parcels.
A Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to eradicating poverty and we recognise the pressures of the rising cost of living which is why we have uprated benefits by 10.1% as well as making an unprecedented increase to the National Living Wage this month. This is on top of changes already made to Universal Credit which mean claimants can keep more of their hard-earned money – a boost worth £1,000 a year on average.
“We are also providing record levels of direct financial support for the most vulnerable – £1,200 last year and a further £1,350 in 2023/24, with over eight million families starting to receive their first £301 Cost of Living instalment from yesterday – while the Household Support Fund is helping people with essential costs.”
Read Next:
- Northumbria Police fails to attend over 100,000 anti-social behaviour reports in four years
- Suella Braverman given council investigation into 'vulnerable' asylum seekers in Newcastle hotels
- Gateshead Leisure Centre closure fears spark 'disturbing' rise in antisemitism, councillor warns
- Warning to drivers as Tyne Tunnel toll increase of up to 50p set to come into force next week
- West Denton pool demolition to start in May as council insists delay won't hamper new £26m leisure centre
