Volunteers Megan Fisher (left) and Anne Yates (right) process donations into food packages to be given to people in need.

A food bank in Beeston is having to scale back the amount of people it helps during the cost of living crisis.

The Trussell Trust Food Bank is based at Hope House church on Boundary Road, with the food bank blaming the cutbacks on a drop in donations.

Shirley Miller, who volunteers at the food bank weekly, said: “We’re open every week but we have had to scale it down because we haven’t been getting the same amount of food we were before.”

“We’re always desperate for perishables like eggs, milk and bread, but now we’re even struggling for canned foods.”

” A lot of people rely on us, and they can’t afford to be let down”, she added.

The Trussell Trust operates food banks nationwide with multiple sites across Nottingham, in Beeston, Bestwood and Bulwell.

The Beeston branch was established in 2011 after a collaboration with Hope Nottingham who are based in Hope House.

Hope Nottingham is a Christian charity working with local churches and communities to provide help to those who need it, having established Hope House church as a one-stop support centre.

Last year, the Hope House site alone provided struggling people with 5,629 three-day emergency food supplies.

The food bank provides essentials other than food too, like toiletries and hygiene products.

Megan Fisher, a volunteer at Hope House said: ” When I was growing up sometimes my family could only eat if we went to food banks.”

“Thankfully I’m now out of that situation but lots of people aren’t and that’s why I volunteer.”

Like other food banks Hope House relies on the community for food donations, volunteers, and financing.

To use the food bank, a person must also first have a referral provided by a partnered agency, such as Citizens Advice.

” A lot of people rely on us and they can’t afford to be let down.”

Shirley Miller, Volunteer

The Trussell Trust network provided 2.1 million emergency food parcels to people in crisis by food banks in the network in the years 2021-2022.

This is an increase of 14% compared to the years 2020-2021, with 832,000 of the food parcels being given to children.

More alarmingly, compared to five years ago, the amount of food parcels being provided (1.2 million in 2016-2017) has increased by 81%.

  • 87% of UK reported adults reported an increase in their cost of living.
  • UK food price inflation soared to a record annual rate of 12.4% in November 2022.
  • Food price rises reached new 45-year highs of 16.5%, with staple foods such as milk and cereal being affected the most.

The Hope House food bank is open Monday – Wednesday from 9:30am to 12pm.

For more information on how you can get help in a crisis or volunteer go to: Home | Hope Nottingham (hope-nottingham.org.uk)