H&F Foodbank now feeding over 1,000 people

H&F Foodbank, which opened its doors in Shepherds Bush this October, has already doubled the amount of food it has distributed to local people in need this year, rising from 4.1 tonnes in the year 2011-12 to 9.4 tonnes during this financial year. 

Almost one in ten people in London have skipped meals, gone without food to feed their family or relied on family or friends for food in the last year according to new research published this week.  

The research found that in total, around 8 per cent of people in London have suffered from some form of food poverty in the last 12 months, with 5 per cent of people skipping meals and 3 per cent relying on friends or family to provide food. 

Significant numbers of parents had also gone without food to feed their children. 

The research also found that in the last year,18 per cent of people in London had changed their eating habits, buying less expensive food or reducing the amount they eat.

In our borough the foodbank has fed well over the thousand people who accessed their support last year and all the signs are this is a trend only likely to grow, with the tonnage of food rising from 1.5 in September, to 2 tonnes in October this year.

With demand like this the new partnership they have just unveiled with Tescos is a very welcome development, with staff involved in collecting the food parcels for the scheme. Last Saturday the scheme launched at the store on 180 Shepherd's Bush and is set to continue throughout the winter.

Philip Clarke, Chief Executive of Tesco said: 

"Over 1,200 people have been helped by the Hammersmith & Fulham foodbank since 1st April 2012 as more people struggle to make ends meet in the current economic climate. This Christmas will be tough for many local people so the Hammersmith & Fulham foodbank is delighted to be part of Tesco’s ‘Help Feed People in Need’ appeal. We’re hoping that many local people will donate at a Tesco store to help stop people going hungry in Hammersmith & Fulham this Christmas."

Chris Mould, Executive Chairman of Trussell Trust said: 

“Across the UK Trussell Trust foodbanks are seeing thousands more people in crisis turn to us for help. Every day we meet parents who are skipping meals to feed their children, or people who are forced to choose between eating and heating. This winter is looking particularly bleak as food and energy prices rise whilst incomes remain static. We are delighted that Tesco is working with The Trussell Trust’s network of over 280 UK foodbanks and FareShare to help stop people going hungry this Christmas. We’d like to encourage everyone to give a can or two to help make this Christmas a happier one for people in crisis. Thank you.” 

Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare said: 

“We are so pleased to be working with Tesco and the Trussell Trust on this campaign. Year-round, FareShare redistributes food to over 700 local grassroot projects in the UK who work tirelessly to provide food and other support to some of the poorest people in our society. In the past year, we provided food for 8.6 million meals and helped feed 36,500 people a day. With the help of Tesco customers, we can provide even more food to people who need it, at a time of real, increasing need. Thank you!”