Cambridgeshire foodbank user spreads word to help tackle hunger
She says the service acts as 'an olive branch' for those in need
Last updated 30th Jun 2023
A foodbank user in Ely hopes that spreading the word can help others struggling with hunger find the support they need.
The Trussell Trust, which runs Ely Foodbank, found 11.3 million people in the UK faced hunger issues last year.
And in the year to March, the Trust gave out a record of nearly three million emergency food parcels in the year to March compared to 12 months before.
Megan Starr worked as a healthcare assistant before stopping due to health issues.
"It was a case of 'I can't do this anymore'
“When I originally came, I was faced with a cupboard with nothing in it,” she said.
“I was on my own, had low income and I was paying for everything and trying to do everything at once; it was a case of ‘I can’t do this anymore’.
“It was emotional when I first came in because I didn’t know who these people are or what to expect, what I was going to get.”
The Trussell Trust found that while around 7% of the UK population was supported by charitable food support in the year to mid-2022, 71% of people facing food insecurity said they had not yet accessed any form of such support.
Foodbank message can help tackle crisis, says Megan
Megan started attending Ely Foodbank two to three years ago, and does so on occasions if her partner is ill, meaning less income to spend on food.
But she hopes by encouraging others in need to use the service, some of their fears can be dealt with.
“They give you that olive branch to say it’s an emergency place and they give you the support to go somewhere else for when the crisis is over because the foodbank is a short-term solution,” Megan said.
“I spread the word to other people because if they’re struggling, it’s a good way for them to use the food bank if they’re in a crisis.
“Now it’s made me help other people to be able to overcome coming in that front door.”