Four years of the Bristol North West Foodbank

Since being started out of a church cupboard by Christian volunteers, the Bristol North West Foodbank has helped nearly 10,000 people and this week is celebrating its fourth birthday.

It now has its own delivery service and is helping a record number of adults and children across Henbury, Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston and Hotwells.

Emma Murray, 43, from Bishopston, is the founder of the food bank. She said that the overwhelming majority of food bank clients are vulnerable people on low incomes or those who have had their benefits stopped suddenly.

A growing level of evidence links recent welfare reforms with food bank use and earlier this month a new study, Cheshire Hunger, found that problems with social security payments accounted for 47 per cent of referrals to the country’s food banks.

It comes as a coalition of churches is urging the government to rethink its benefit sanctions, calling the new regime inhumane and un-Christian.

The Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, said in response to the Cheshire Hunger report: “It exposes a system which is harsh in the extreme, penalising the most vulnerable of claimants by the withdrawal of benefits for weeks at a time.”

Since the Bristol North West Food bank opened four years ago at Lawrence Weston Baptist Church, 2,658 people have cited low income as their reason for using the service, closely followed by 2,039 affected by benefit delays and 1,144 affected by benefit changes.

Emma said: “It is clear from our statistics that the administration of the benefits system leads to people having to use our food bank.

“Many of our clients talk of the struggle they have with the paperwork, endless phone calls and long waiting times for issues to be sorted. 

“Benefits are often stopped suddenly and for a number of reasons which are not always our clients’ fault and it plunges families into crisis. 

“These people suddenly have no means of feeding themselves or their families and have nowhere else to go. 

“A number of our clients have mentioned their struggle with depression and mental health issues which it seems makes them vulnerable under the current system.”

Vicar’s wife Emma believes the current benefit system has lost its focus on the individual and can discourage people from working, especially if the work they are offered is a short term contract. 

“It seems to be such a long process to get benefits reinstated after a short period of work, it can leave families concerned about how they will manage, so therefore it is safer not to work.  

“We often see people at the food bank who have to wait for their benefits after finishing a period of work.”

Currently 28.7 per cent of Bristol children live in income deprived households and this financial year so far the food banks in north west Bristol have helped 3,437 people, whereas in the 2013-14 financial year they helped 2,588.

Emma says she is shocked by the volume of people in need of help in an age when many see poverty as something that only happens in the third world.

“It’s hard to know if we are reaching everybody we need to reach, but the fact we have already seen more people this financial year than we saw in the whole of 2013 to 2014 is indicative of a growing need.

“A client recently was so hungry, the moment they got their food parcel they opened a tin and began drinking straight from the tin.”

One man forced to use the Lawrence Weston food bank over Christmas as their Job Seekers Allowance was stopped suddenly, told how he had to last three and a half weeks on just £30 and spent his evenings in the dark without heating and nothing to do because they had no TV.

“I had to use this money for electric and gas for myself and my elderly father. For nearly two weeks we were without power.

“We needed this food to survive. If it wasn’t for the food bank we would literally starve in our own country. And remember this is 2015 not 1815.”

Contrary to popular belief the food bank does not just help the unemployed or homeless as user Jenny says.

“Although I am employed, I’m ‘underemployed’. That is, I am only given 15 hours a week’s work. I’ve been job hunting for three years and am now on such a low income, I’ve applied for housing benefit and Council Tax benefit (which could take two months to process) so I have become eligible for food bank vouchers. 

“You don’t have to be homeless or jobless to be poor.”

Each outlet run by the North West Bristol Foodbank has a cafe area manned by volunteers where they try to signpost clients to other agencies that may be able to help them out of crisis or can offer debt counselling or advice on housing and benefit problems.

While many clients are ashamed that it has come to this point, they are met with a warm welcome and encouraged to give something back when their fortunes change.

Emma says: “At the food bank we also see people who refuse to take any sort of benefits and they pride themselves on the fact that they’ve managed their whole life without them.  

“Coming to the food bank in itself is highly embarrassing for these people and I think this is very sad.  

“The media has often made people on benefits look like they are lazy or scroungers, so this can lead to those who really need help not wanting to be labelled this way.”

So many people that receive help from the food bank are compelled to give something back once they are back on their feet that the service actually has a waiting list for volunteers. 

One grandmother who has used the service said: “I’ve used the food bank a few times when I’ve been at rock bottom. 

“The first time I was really nervous and embarrassed, but as soon as I stepped through the door, I was made to feel welcome and put at ease. 

“It was not as I was expecting it to be at all. I was given really good products as well and not made to feel bad about being there. I would highly recommend it if you are in real need.”

Another young mum who is a client said: “My partner didn’t get paid by his work, so we were left with literally nothing. 

“I was at the Children’s Centre in tears and they suggested that I came to the food bank. I came and it was nothing like I expected. 

“People were so helpful and understanding and not judgemental. They gave me a cup of tea and a biscuit. 

“I was in a bad way the first time I came in. It’s been so much help, especially the nappies, shampoo and toilet roll. They did everything they could do to help.

“They also told me about a local fruit and vegetable scheme which sells at warehouse prices and is amazing. I’m back again because my partner’s contract is finished and we are waiting for our benefits.” 

Emma added: “I’m really quite shocked by the amount of people we have helped as it was originally set up by two small churches (St Andrew’s in Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston Baptist Church) out of a cupboard and now we have a van, a delivery service, containers for donated food and are supported by all the churches in north west Bristol.

“It started off as a very small group but I think it appeals to volunteers because it is such a practical way of helping and supporting your local community- people take on different roles like packing, talking to people and a lot of former clients are now volunteering.”

The food bank provides a minimum of three days emergency food and support to local people in crisis and uses a voucher system where clients can be referred by GPs, health visitors, CAB, clergy, community workers, schools, etc – any professionals who are likely to come into contact with people in real need.

Vouchers can then be redeemed in exchange for enough nutritionally balanced food for three days, although some clients used to living on reduced earnings can make them last much longer.

The Trussell Trust limits people to a maximum use of three times in six months so that clients do not become reliant.

Although it is a Christian charity, The Trussel Trust aims to help anybody going through a period of crisis in Shirehampton, Sea Mills, Lawrence Weston, Avonmouth, Severn Beach, Pill, Long Ashton, Pilning, Stoke Bishop, Westbury on Trym, Westbury Park, Coombe Dingle, Henbury, Brentry, Clifton, Hotwells, Cotham, Redland, Kingswood and Bedminster.

The charity has recently started a home delivery service to the elderly and housebound, who otherwise may not be able to access a food bank.

If you feel inspired to help you can leave non-perishable food donations or supermarket vouchers at Sainsburys Clifton Down and Waitrose Portishead or at any of the participating churches.

For more information, visit www.bristolnwfoodbank.org.uk.