Each year, as Christmas approaches, we choose a charity close to our hearts to fundraise for over the festive period. Last year, our staff opted to work with The Trussell Trust because of the incredible work they do through their UK-wide network of food banks. Unfortunately in the past 12 months the need for their services has only increased, so we’ve chosen to support them again this year.
In 2022 we collected over £12,000 in donations, and we’re giving our customers the opportunity to donate when buying tickets throughout December and January. Below, the great people at The Trussell Trust explain what it is they do and why their work is so important…
Introducing The Trussell Trust
We exist so we can all be free from hunger. The Trussell Trust supports more than 1,300 local food bank centres across the UK, together they provide practical support for people facing hardship. But emergency food isn’t a long-term solution to hunger. People need food banks when they don’t have enough money for the essentials. It’s not right that anyone needs a food bank to get by, and we can change this by ensuring everyone has enough income to eat, stay warm and stay dry. That’s why we also work with communities across the UK to change the things that push people to need a food bank.
But, this will be the busiest winter ever at food banks – between December 2023 and February 2024, for the first time, we expect to provide more than 1 million emergency food parcels – the most parcels ever across this period. That’s a parcel every 8 seconds.
Food banks are already stretched to breaking point:
• The soaring cost of living is driving record numbers of people on the lowest incomes to food banks, and although food banks are doing everything they can to help, they’re already working flat-out.
• Food banks are buying more food at a time when prices are higher than ever – the sharp increase in people needing help is outstripping food donations.
• Teams are drained, exhausted and running on reserves – it’s never been this relentless before, every season feels worse than the year before.
It’s not right that every winter we see more and more people needing food banks. We don’t want to spend every winter saying things at food banks are getting worse – this isn’t the kind of society we want to live in.
Food banks are determined to create change in their communities. Even last winter, when we thought things couldn’t get worse, food banks refused to stop innovating – they are determined to find ways to ensure people don’t need their support in the future.
Together we will end hunger in the UK so no one needs a food bank to survive.
Until then, we will do everything we can to provide emergency support for people who don’t have enough money for the essentials. Will you help food banks be here for people on the lowest incomes this winter and beyond?