Festive poverty creates rush on isles’ foodbank 14/1/14
people An emergency foodbank recently set up in the Western Isles has experienced a rush after the festive holidays.
Around 30 people have been helped by the Stornoway-based Eilean Siar Foodbank in the past week.
Agencies warn the problem is getting worse as benefit reforms take effect.
Often thought of as exclusive to inner city neighbourhoods, foodbanks are appearing more in rural areas across Scotland.
The main reasons for food poverty include delayed or cut benefits, the rising cost of living and homelessness.
Another serious cause has emerged in the islands - soaring heating costs combined with lower incomes means a stark choice between “heat or eat.”
The Western Isles suffers from the highest levels of fuel poverty in the UK with a recent report showing 58% of island homes affected compared to the Scottish average of 28%.
The volunteer-run Eilean Siar Foodbank, is a partnership between the New Wine Church and the Trussell Trust.
Recently, it provided emergency supplies to one woman whose benefits were cancelled for three months and also helped a young man who could only afford a single candle in his room for heating
Today (Tues) six parcels are being sent to Uist and Barra, thanks to free transport over ferries and causeways from local firm, Grillburger Frozen Foods.
Gavin Lawson, manager of the Eilean Siar (Western Isles) Foodbank, says the low paid are often forced to skip meals because it costs so much money just to keep warm.
He says its a difficult decision to either “heat or eat,” exacerbated by “people having to pay more to heat their homes and the (extra) cost of travel to access services.”
Around 15 people are feed a week though this figure has doubled since Christmas.
Mr Lawson says the numbers “do not sound a lot” but is six times the original expectation of five.
He added: “We said then if we got ten people a week we would have a major problem.”
The need for a foodbank in the islands seems unusual for the community where there is a high ethos of care with neighbours traditionally helping each other.
But villages are not longer as tight knit as they were while those most in need may be too ashamed to ask for assistance.
Mr Lawson highlights that islanders’ willingness to help others is still strong and shows through the generous donations given to the foodbank.
Shoppers donated five tonnes of supplies at a recent drive for the foodbank held in Tesco Stornoway - the most from any of the chain’s superstores in the North of Scotland.
Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK and everyday people go hungry. Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.
The Trussell Trust says there has been a 170% rise in numbers turning to foodbanks in last 12 months
Almost 350,000 people – about a third of them children - have received at least three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks during 2012 - 13, close to triple the number helped in the previous year.
Its says rising costs of food and fuel combined with static income, high unemployment and changes to benefits are causing rising numbers of people to come to foodbanks for help.