A survey carried out by FareShare UK in September/October 2022 has demonstrated the impact that the Cost of Living Crisis is having on the charities and community groups that we support.
The rise in the cost of living is at the forefront of many of our minds. Key issues such as the economic impacts of Brexit, Covid-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are being felt in ordinary households up and down the country.
The overall budget for supermarket food items has soared by 17% according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with some staple items such as pasta rising as much as 60% by the end of September. The figures are worrying, especially as we enter the winter months. Despite the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee, ‘heating or eating’ has become a real dilemma for millions of people.
During September 21-23rd, The Food Foundation conducted a survey of 4280 adults. The results revealed that 18.4% of households had experienced food insecurity in the previous month. The risk of facing food insecurity increases further in households with children, with one in four households with children stating that they had ‘been hungry but not eaten’, ‘had smaller meals/ skipped meals’ or ‘not eaten for a whole day’ during this time period.
The current crisis is also having a profound impact on charities, as they also face the rising costs in energy, utility bills and food. This is reflected in a recent survey of the charities serviced by FareShare partners nationwide.
Some key takeaways from the survey:
- 90% of charities said that demand for their services has increased since January
- 82% of charities say that the reason for the increase in demand is due to the rising cost of food
- 89% of charities say they are worried that they cannot meet the extra demand
See a summary of the results here
At FareShare Greater Manchester we are working hard to ensure that we can provide sufficient support to our community food members. Demand for food is at an all-time high and we need your support to help us to continue the work that we do.
How you can help:
- Volunteer – We have a range of volunteering opportunities available
- Fundraise – Hold a fundraiser with your friends or in your workplace
- Donate – Just £1 provides up to 4 meals for families in need
- Donate food – Could your food company divert some of its surplus food?
- Write to your MP – Ask your MP to back FareShare’s Cost of Living Crisis Appeal
A comment from Lucy Danger, FareShare Greater Manchester CEO:
“The cost of living crisis has seen inflation rise to a 40-year-high, pushing millions of people into food poverty and drastically increasing demand for our surplus food. The recent results from the FareShare survey demonstrate the severity of the situation. The charities we support are worried that the situation is going to get worse and they may not be able to meet the extra demand. If you can afford to donate to FareShare’s Cost of Living Crisis Appeal, you will be helping to get more good-to-eat surplus food to people in need across the UK.”
Links:
https://www.foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking
