The #stillhungry report published today (19 July 2016) by the West Cheshire Foodbank, demonstrates the persistence of hunger in 21st century Britain, where one in three people receiving emergency food is a child. The shocking levels of poverty this indicates are unacceptable in a country as wealthy as ours. Referrals to West Cheshire Foodbank have risen in 2016 and there is every indication that foodbanks are here to stay. Despite enormous commitment on the part of volunteers, the report recognises that the provision of emergency food cannot address the underlying and long-term causes of food poverty and calls on Government to take effective steps to ensure that foodbanks do not become an established part of our society.
David McAuley, CEO at The Trussell Trust said: “The work of The Trussell Trust’s foodbank network and sustained commitment from its volunteers has provided much-needed support for people in crisis; yet this alone will not solve the problem of hunger. Charities can be part of the solution but they cannot be the sole solution.
"We are at a pivotal point in British politics post the EU referendum, with a new Prime Minister who has an opportunity to make social justice the centrepiece of what they do. Now more than ever we must work together to ensure fewer families face poverty. There’s an opportunity for all of us to look at the body of evidence in the report, particularly on sanctions, where an alternative approach would help tackle the underlying causes of hunger.”
* Read the report #stillhungry here
*West Cheshire Foodbank https://westcheshire.foodbank.org.uk/
* Trussell Trust https://www.trusselltrust.org/
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