Melksham’s food bank has seen an increase in the numbers of people using the service following the rise in energy bills.
At the start of April, the average annual energy bill for people in England, Scotland and Wales rose by £111, bringing the total to £1,849 per year.
The team at the food bank say the rise has impacted Melksham residents, as more people have been referred to use the service in the last two weeks.
“The rise in energy bills just makes this worse for people when they are already struggling financially,” explained Kay, a member of the food bank team.
She added, “We have seen an increase in people living on their own needing to use the food bank but mostly it’s families.”
The cost of living has also impacted the volume of food donations being given to the food bank.
“We have seen a decrease in the amount of food donated by customers in all supermarkets in Melksham and have seen the donations drop each week,” says Kay.
However, a high demand for the service and a lack of donations means the team may have to launch an appeal for food and money.
Kay said, “We do not wish to see anybody especially children go hungry. If we continue to get low donations we will have to fundraise and also do a drive for food donations.”
The team have been working hard to ensure Melksham’s residents and families can eat each week and along with food packages, the food bank ran a hot breakfast scheme for people who had been referred by agencies, following a £700 grant from Melksham Town Council and Wiltshire Council.
Items can be donated to the food bank by dropping them off at the following locations: Asda Superstore, Co-op (Blackmore Road), Coventry Building Society, Lidl, Sainsbury’s Superstore, Spa Road Service Station, Waitrose and any church in Melksham.
To contact the food bank, email melkshamfoodbank@gmail.com or visit the website http://melkshamfoodbank.org.uk/contact/
