Better Barnet Food Bank Donations
Better Barnet introduced foodbanks across all Barnet leisure centres in November 2022, to further support our customers and our community. Thanks to the the generosity of our members, we managed to donate an incredible 338.2kg of emergency food for local people in crisis.
The rise in the cost of living put serious pressure on food banks this winter, with many reporting increased demand and a significant decline in both food and financial donations. The insufficient supplies from supermarkets caused some food banks to reduce the level of support they provide and left them unsure whether they can continue to operate.
This had a significant effect on those already using food banks including individuals reliant on benefits or experiencing problems with health, accommodation, and family circumstances. There were also signs that a wider range of the population resorted to using food banks including social workers, public sector workers, and teachers. In fact, between April and August 2022, over half of food banks surveyed by Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) found 25% of the people they supported hadn’t used their services before.
To meet the unprecedented demand placed upon food banks this winter, the Trussell Trust launched an emergency fundraising appeal in October after new research showed record-breaking levels of need, with 320,000 being forced to turn to food banks for the first time in the last six months. The Trussell Trust support more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK to provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis, as well as support to help people resolve the crises they face.
One of Trussell Trust’s food banks in Barnet is Chipping Barnet Food Bank, which is founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the borough. At Better Barnet, we agreed to support Chipping Barnet Food Bank In November 2022 by collecting food donations. All five of our Better leisure centre’s (Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre, Burnt Oak Leisure Centre, New Barnet Leisure Centre, Finchley Lido Leisure Centre, and Hendon Leisure Centre) became collection points for food, where we asked our members to donate whatever they could to help the most vulnerable.
By donating a total 338.2kg of food, our members have helped to provide emergency food for 17 typical families. Thank you to everyone who has donated!