Food banks: "If it wasn't for them I don't know where I'd be... I wouldn't be here"
Bristol North West Food Bank has seen a 48% increase in demand
A Bristol food bank has told us it is bracing for the worst winter yet after demand for food parcels have increased by almost half across its sites, since last year.
Based in Avonmouth, the North West Food Bank provides food parcels for people living in areas including Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston and Henbury.
The UK's biggest food bank network - the Trussell Trust - of which they are part of, tell us food banks up and down the country expect this winter will be their busiest to date, with more than one million emergency food parcels to be distributed.
The charity forecasts that more than 600,000 people will need the support of food banks over a three-month period. This equates to an average of one food parcel every eight seconds (11,500 a day) and 7,000 people seeking support each day.
Heather Windows, 62, from Lawrence Weston, has been to collect a food parcel at the Avonmouth food bank, and told us about the difference it makes in her life.
"I'm a proud person and it takes a lot for someone to come along and say "can I have some bread" or "can I have some food" because I haven't got anything for my tea tonight.
"The team here are like little angels in people's clothes, and I just find it really humbling.
"If it wasn't for them I don't know where I'd be. I don't think I'd be here. Because when people go "I don't have anything in my cupboard" and they've got like 25 tins in their cupboard - I've got one"
Ms Windows told Greatest Hits Radio she's retired due to health reasons, and receives housing benefit, but her rent's gone up recently which is putting her under a lot of pressure.
"My landlady thought it would be good to put my rent up by £100 and I've got to find that because I have housing benefit but they only pay so much.
"The money I was using to keep me afloat for the month, I haven't got it now and there's no fallback."
The North Bristol West Food Bank helped 1,065 people in September this year, up from 722 in September 2022. That's an increase of 48% comparatively to 12 months prior.
Across the country, food banks have helped more than 220,000 children with emergency food, and 225,000 people who needed to use a food bank for the first time but it is anticipated these numbers will be even higher this year.
Food banks are calling on people in their local communities to donate, if they can, to ensure that they can continue to support everyone who needs their help.
North Bristol West Food Bank Manager Emma Murray said:
"We see such a huge range of issues but I think more recently we're seeing people who are maybe working one or two jobs, trying to keep on top of things for their family but can't make ends meet.
"We've had people saying they can't afford their mortgages, who are getting into huge debt, and will probably lose their homes. It's quite a serious crisis."
Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust, said:
“We don’t want to spend every winter saying things at food banks are getting worse, but they are.
"Food banks are not the answer in the long term, but while we continue to fight for the change that could mean they can be closed for good your local food bank urgently needs your support."