Record number of food parcels handed out in Lancaster and Morecambe

Food bank use in Lancaster and Morecambe hit record numbers in 2018.
It's Ellys Bagnall, Fiona Lambert, Becky Sewell and Joanna Young, from Hotfoot Design, with their donation for Morecambe Bay Foodbank.It's Ellys Bagnall, Fiona Lambert, Becky Sewell and Joanna Young, from Hotfoot Design, with their donation for Morecambe Bay Foodbank.
It's Ellys Bagnall, Fiona Lambert, Becky Sewell and Joanna Young, from Hotfoot Design, with their donation for Morecambe Bay Foodbank.

From January to December 2018, Morecambe Bay Foodbank handed out around 7,000 emergency food parcels to families in need.

This compares to 5,500 from January to December 2017.

The foodbank said that demand remains high, and that despite a huge amount of support over the Christmas period, it was likely to be running short within a few weeks.

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Joanna Young, chair of trustees at Morecambe Bay Foodbank, said: “In the week before Christmas, we saw 70 clients in one session.

“This is completely unprecedented, a busy session would usually be 25-30 clients, and demonstrates the hardship that many families in our area were facing before Christmas this year.

“Our volunteers were absolutely fantastic, putting in hundreds of hours getting parcels ready.

“Design Plus, based on White Lund has given us storage to cope with the extra donations we get at peak times of the year - huge thanks go to them.

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“Many, many businesses, churches, families and groups took part in the Reverse Advent Calendar this year, donating tonnes of food between them.

“We are hugely grateful for their efforts and we were able to give Christmas parcels out to families across the Morecambe Bay area.

“The travelling community took part in the Foodbank Nomination before Christmas and were incredibly generous, donating huge amounts of food which will help to see us through the winter period.

She added: “We don’t get too much food at Christmas - this food is needed during the busy winter period and it is likely that we will be running short again in a few weeks so please keep donating as it’s cold and people often find themselves in financial hardship at the start of the year.”

The Foodbank says:

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We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.”

People can donate food and money to Morecambe Bay Foodbank via supermarkets in the Lancaster district, and the charity is always looking for volunteers. Visit www.morecambebay.foodbank.org.uk.