Across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, the local foodbank network (Bristol North West Foodbank, North Bristol & South Glos Foodbank and South & East Bristol Foodbank) have seen the need for their services drastically increase over the past few years as austerity continues to grow.
The team don’t think anyone should be in a position to need the foodbank, that’s why they are partnering with the Trussell Trust and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who have launched a petition as part of the Guarantee our Essentials campaign.
This campaign calls on the UK government to implement an Essentials Guarantee into Universal Credit.
Universal Credit should offer support to anyone in need of help, but here in Bradley Stoke we’re seeing more and more people pushed to the doors of foodbanks because Universal Credit doesn’t cover the cost of life’s essentials, such as food and bills. This isn’t right and must change.
Local foodbanks are seeing the highest level of need since they opened 12 years ago; as one visitor to one of our foodbanks said: “It has been my lifeline, I don’t know what I would do without all of you.”
The team behind the foodbanks need people to take action. We see first-hand how low levels of social security affect people in our community.
The team truly believe that taking action will seriously lower the number of people needing to use our foodbanks.
Please sign the petition today which calls on UK political party leaders to support the introduction of an Essentials Guarantee into Universal Credit, which would ensure the basic rate covers our core costs and can never be pulled below that level.
The petition is here: action.trusselltrust.org/guarantee-our-essentials-petition
Our local Trussell Trust foodbank (Patchway outlet) is open weekly at St Chad’s Church (172 Rodway Road, BS34 5ED) to support members of the community who need help.
They operate using a referral
system. To find out more or to help support their work, visit: nbsg.foodbank.org.uk