For BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox, a visit to a food bank project in Battersea – where she met staff, volunteers and mothers in need, and helped prepare food parcels – proved to be unexpectedly eye-opening.
“Even though you see news headlines about poverty and people who are struggling, when you’re there and unpacking the bags of pasta and tins of soup, it hits home just how tough it is for people,” she said. “Mums on a daily basis, they’ll skip lunch and breakfast and have dinner because they can’t afford to feed themselves and they’re saving the food for their kids. I’m just like, what the hell, this is such a rich country.”
Cox was visiting the “Foodie Friday” event last week, run by the charity Guiding Hands, one of the groups eligible for funding from our On the Breadline Christmas Appeal partnership with Comic Relief and sister title the Evening Standard that has so far raised £3.3m.
Earlier, as Cox arrived at St George’s Church in Battersea, she had joked with a smile: “Are you going to put me to work?” Guiding Hands founder Tracey Davis laughed and said, “Yes, yes I am.”
The broadcaster helped to assemble food parcels, which primarily target mothers. The charity already runs a Foodie Friday event in Croydon and the Battersea event has recently opened due to high demand.
Ms Davis explained how Guiding Hands works to make the food bank more accessible to mums and families in need by making it social and family-friendly. Among the service users who spoke with Cox ahead of the event was young mother Kirsty, accompanied by her one-year-old daughter.
Kirsty told Cox how Guiding Hands has been a vital lifeline by providing food and that the atmosphere of the venue, which has toys and games for children, made her feel welcome. Kirsty, who lives in temporary accommodation, said: “This month is when I’ve felt the real struggle, especially with electricity and gas bills, so I come here for my food.” The 25-year-old, who helps look after her sister’s five children, added that the project is “a massive help”.
Guiding Hands did not originally start out providing food but did so around six years ago after noticing that mums were struggling. The need has increased exponentially since, with some people now coming forward who previously managed to make ends meet.
“It could be someone that’s on £25,000 a year, but this month the ceiling caved in and they need help,” said Ms Davis. Some users of the service are referred, meaning they do not pay, while others pay a small sum to access a week’s worth of groceries.
The event takes place on Friday afternoons, allowing parents to do the school run first, and products are tailored to the needs of service users, such as the ingredients they prefer to cook with. “For all service users, the cost of living is a struggle,” said Ms Davis. “I’ve got little ones and I used to dread going shopping with them because you don’t want to say ‘no’, but you just don’t have the money.”
Cox said: “It’s people like Tracey who are catching people as they fall through the gaps. I don’t know what they would do otherwise.”
She urged readers to donate to On the Breadline to help projects like Guiding Hands and said: “That is the best use for a spare fiver – forget any Christmas tat or an overpriced coffee. If you can spare that few quid, donate it to this Christmas appeal – because you are changing lives.”
