Food banks

Feeding the community from my allotment

A woman from Enfield uses the food from her allotment to feed her neighbours
One woman from Edmonton uses the food from her allotment to feed her neighbours.

'Significant increase' in rough sleeping in South Lakeland

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A 'significant increase' in the number of people sleeping rough in South Lakeland will be investigated by the local council, with a report expected in the new year.

A full meeting of South Lakeland District Council was told that in contrast to increasing homelessness, the number of people owning second homes in the area is approaching four thousand.

The porfolio holder for health, wellbeing and financial resilience, Councillor Suzie Pye, a Liberal Democrat, also claimed figures from End Child Poverty show 23% of people in the area are living in poverty and referrals to the Kendal food bank have gone up 18% year on year.

She told councillors that tackling social inequality is "certainly a challenge".

Homeless person with dog
Getty Images

Foodbank to help more than 900 people this Christmas

Food donation box
Getty Images

The Taunton Food bank is preparing to hand out food to more than 900 people this Christmas.

Ten tonnes of food has already been donated to the charity which hands out special parcels for families over the festive period.

Sue Weightman manages the charity and said she thinks food banks will always be needed.

She said: "I don't think anybody thought years later we would still be here and in need."

Miss Weightman said the figure goes up every year.

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