Foodbank

River network have been operating a successful foodbank helping local families with food parcel deliveries throughout the last year, teaming up with brands to help family’s get healthy foods when struggling this past year due to different financial situations . During lockdown this service flourished with a innovative delivery service, this was honoured and acknowledged by HRH The Queens representative in Derbyshire The Lord Lieutenant.

We believe everyone deserves access to a foodbank regardless of their circumstances. Foodbanks can be a lifeline for some disadvantaged families would struggle to put food on the table without the support. Using a foodbank is a way to help avoid extreme hunger as well as helping avoid extreme poverty. In 2020 almost 2 million families turn to food banks serving 1.7 billion meals a rise of 300 thousand from the year before showing how important foodbanks are to families and how grateful foodbanks are for donations. People can rely on foodbanks for healthier foods as they can only afford the cheaper unhealthy foods in a supermarket.

Food banks are community organisations that are set up to help and support households who can’t afford the essentials they need in life.

Food banks are all charity based, so they depend on donations to help them support families in need.

In the U.K. approximately 2.5 million people used a food bank service in 2020/21 and that number is rising each year.

Food Banks provide an essential service to a community through providing long lasting food to families and people in need. Food banks can be used to avoid hunger and/or poverty and help people manage their finances as some may not have the budget to pay for what they need. Food banks rely on donations, this can be monetary, which allows the charity providing a food bank service to purchase more products they can hand out. Food can also be donated but it must be long-lasting, non-perishable as fresh food can spoil quickly and not all food banks have cold storage available.

In 2020/21, approximately 2.5 million people used a food bank in the United Kingdom, this is over 600 thousand more than last year. Between 2008/21, the number of users of a food bank has increased every year, this is from just 26 thousand in 2008/09.

Food banks are community organisations that are set up to help and support households who can’t afford the essentials they need in life.

Food banks are all charity based, so they depend on donations to help them support families in need.

Food banks can provide more than food products.

Many food banks ask for donations of:

  • Toiletries
  • Sanitary Products
  • Nappies
  • Pet Food

As well as food parcels and essential items, many food banks can provide vital support services for people in need.

For example volunteers can give out information on:

  • Financial Advice
  • Welfare Support
  • Community Groups
  • Further Support Services

The demand for food banks have risen in the last year mainly due to the pandemic causing a rise in unemployment.

Between April 2020 – September 2020 over 1.2 million emergency food parcels were handed out, 470,000 of these went to children.

In the U.K. approximately 2.5 million people used a food bank service in 2020/21 and that number is rising each year.