Foodbanks have seen a sharp increase in the number of people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire needing help.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, Bristol and South Gloucestershire foodbanks run by the Trussell Trust fed 39,213 people, 15,805 of whom were children.
This is an increase of 22% compared to 2021/2022.
Now the Bristol North West Foodbank, North Bristol & South Glos Foodbank and South and East Bristol Foodbank, which are part of the Trussell Trust, have united to back the trust’ campaign nationally, in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, for the Government to introduce an ‘Essentials Guarantee’ in the social security system. This would mean that, at a minimum, Universal Credit protects people from going without the essentials.
Emergency food parcels distributed by foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network soared to close to three million (2,986,203) between April 2022 and March 2023, including more than a million food parcels given to children.
