New figures suggest that approximately 100,000 people1, 5% of adults living in the North East, have thought they may need use a foodbank for the Christmas period this year.
In the North East, last December, Trussell Trust foodbanks distributed a total of 8,149 three-day emergency food supplies to adults and children. This was a 31% increase on the monthly average throughout the rest of the year in 2015.
Encouragingly, in the North East, one in ten (11%) adults regularly, at least once a month, donate food parcels. However, the research also found that seven in ten (70%) adults say they have never given to a foodbank.
The YouGov survey was carried out by Seafish, the UK industry authority on seafood, who worked to donate tinned fish to Trussell Trust foodbanks during 2016.
Heather Middleton, marketing manager at Seafish explains, “During this season of goodwill, both Seafish and The Trussell Trust are calling on shoppers in the North East to add a few extra food items to their trollies, including tinned seafood, and donate to local foodbanks over the festive period. If you’ve never made a donation before what a great time to start and finish 2016 on a high, by making a vital contribution that could make life a little easier for someone this Christmas.”
The research also found many households waste food during the festive period. Half (50%) of adults across the North East said that last year they threw away all or some of what they’ve bought for their Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Trussell Trust foodbank parcels are designed to be nutritionally balanced. Tinned fish is an essential part of a nutritionally balanced food parcel given to people who experience a crisis, such as a sudden loss of earnings or an unexpected bill, which has left them struggling to eat.
The number of people using foodbanks in the UK has risen to record highs in the past six months. To help people in need, there are three ways residents in the North East can offer their support to Trussell Trust foodbanks in their local area.
Firstly, people are being encouraged to donate tinned seafood, such as tuna and mackerel, alongside other non-perishable foods, to their local Tesco permanent collection points.
Another way to donate is through a dedicated funding page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/seafood-week-trussell-trust. This page will be live throughout the Christmas holidays, allowing people to donate the cost of a sandwich, lunch or whatever they can afford.
All of the donations will be used directly to tackle UK poverty. 90% will be used to purchase tinned seafood which will be distributed to Trussell Trust foodbanks, and 10% will be donated directly to The Trussell Trust to help them stop UK hunger.
A third way to help people in crisis is by making donations directly to your local Trussell Trust foodbank. There are 420 foodbanks across the UK where all donations are welcome. You can find your nearest one by visiting https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/.
Stopping hunger is about more than food, which is why The Trussell Trust works with its foodbanks to provide additional services, such as money advice and budget cookery courses, which create a lasting impact by addressing the underlying causes of poverty.