Food bank facing eviction searches for new site
One of the biggest food banks in east London is appealing for help to find new premises after being served an eviction notice.
Pl84U Al Suffa in Leytonstone, which supports about 500 people a week, has been ordered to vacate its home by 8 June.
The landlord of the building plans to refurbish the premises. Waltham Forest Council said it was doing all it could to try to find a suitable alternative for the food bank.
Saira Begum Mir, founder of Pl84U Al Suffa, said the facility was "the only way that people can survive".
"They've still got to pay their electric and utility bills - they're not going down, they're just going high," she said.
"The needy are being more deprived of things.
"It is very important that we can provide food on the table for themselves and their children.
"Food is the only option they can get free - where there's a bit of support."
The food bank, which has been in operation since 2020, is open on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday each week.
One visitor told BBC London: "Supermarket prices went very high, I don't even use supermarkets anymore because they are just too expensive.
"My main supply is this food bank."
He added: "I'm coming here because to be able to pay for the bills, I need to cut down on the food supplies. The food bank is the only option."
Another food bank user said: "I am a full time carer to my husband and I'm disabled.
"It's a great way to add on to the food that I get from the supermarket, because everything's so expensive now."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
Half of low-paid Londoners use a food bank - survey
Food bank supply hub to close in 'devastating blow'
William and Kate donate funds to burgled food bank
Waltham Forest Council
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
North missed £140bn of transport investment over last government, research finds
The North of England would have received an extra £140 billion in transport investment under the previous government if funding levels had been the same as in London, research has claimed. Independent analysis by think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) looked at Treasury figures between 2009/10 and 2022/23, during which time the Conservatives were in power. It reached the figure, which it said was enough to build seven Elizabeth Lines, by considering the amount of spending per person across the different English regions over that period. While England as a whole saw £592 spent per person each year, London received double that amount with £1,183 spent per person, the IPPR said. The entire North region saw £486 spent per person, with the North East and North West seeing £430 and £540 spent per person respectively. This amounted to £140 billion of missed investment for the North, more than the entire £83 billion estimate of capital spending on transport in the region since 1999/2000, according to the analysis. The region with the lowest amount of investment over the period was the East Midlands with just £355 spent per person. Among the most divisive transport investment projects for the previous government was the HS2 rail project, which was axed north of Birmingham in October 2023. Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to 'reinvest every single penny, £36 billion, in hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands', including improvements to road, rail and bus schemes. Earlier this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £15.6 billion package for mayoral authorities to use on public transport projects across the North and Midlands ahead of the spending review. It is expected to include funding to extend the metros in Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, along with a renewed tram network in South Yorkshire and a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire. Marcus Johns, senior research fellow at IPPR North, said: 'Today's figures are concrete proof that promises made to the North over the last decade were hollow. It was a decade of deceit. 'We are 124 years on from the end of Queen Victoria's reign, yet the North is still running on infrastructure built during her rein – while our transport chasm widens. 'This isn't London bashing – Londoners absolutely deserve investment. But £1,182 per person for London and £486 for northerners? The numbers don't lie – this isn't right. 'This Government have begun to restore fairness with their big bet on transport cash for city leaders. 'They should continue on this journey to close this investment gap in the upcoming spending review and decades ahead.' Former Treasury minister Lord Jim O'Neill said: 'Good governance requires the guts to take a long-term approach, not just quick fixes. So the Chancellor is right in her focus on the UK's long-standing supply-side weaknesses – namely our woeful productivity and weak private and public investment. 'Backing major infrastructure is the right call, and this spending review is the right time for the Chancellor to place a big bet on northern growth and begin to close this investment chasm. 'But it's going to take more than commitments alone – she'll need to set out a transparent framework for delivery.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
London mayor urged to raise SUV parking fees
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to seek to increase taxes and parking fees for SUVs. London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on him to take action over fears the increasing size of cars is damaging roads, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to ask councils in the capital to consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce stricter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight against. SUVs have become more popular in recent years, with many drivers preferring the higher seating position. TfL now has 2,000 zero-emission buses in London The bright yellow buggies on the streets of Fulham Anger after SUVs have tyres deflated by activists They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The size increase has been dubbed "carspreading". Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets "weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs". She added: "Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. "It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible." AA president Edmund King insisted it was "up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs". He said: "It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. "Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. "London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change." A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated the figure rises to 82% for children. A Mayor of London spokesman said: "The mayor, Transport for London and borough partners are working to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads, by expanding the cycle network, making road crossings and junctions safer, reducing speed limits on our roads, and making larger vehicles like HGVs and buses safer. "This year the mayor will be refreshing his Vision Zero action plan to restate his commitment to reducing road danger and responding to new and emerging risks on our roads." The Treasury has been approached for comment. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Should you pay more for parking if you have a big car? End to discounts for zero-emission vehicles Should you pay more for parking if you have a big car? London Assembly
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Workaholic Brits are 'giving away' up to £29 billion worth of work a year
Workaholic Brits are 'giving away' up to £29 billion worth of work a year – by not taking their full lunchbreaks. A poll of 2,000 adults in full or part-time employment found those who have a lunchbreak typically take only 70 per cent of their allotted time – and those who don't take their full break end up skipping it entirely twice per week. For someone in full-time employment, who works an average of 233 days per year and based on the average full-time salary, this is effectively £1,012 worth of time annually they're forgoing. Nearly half (46 per cent) say this is because they have 'too much work to do', with other reasons identified as feeling pressured to go back to work (23 per cent) and not seeing the point because they don't have enough time to go anywhere (21 per cent). And more than a third (35 per cent) deemed their lunchbreaks 'too short' – with the average amount of time given to them during a workday only 39 minutes. To give working Brits back their afternoon breaks, bakery brand, St Pierre, set up a 'respect zone' in Potter's Field Park – paying homage to the sacred lunchbreak and urging Londoners to 'eat avec respect'. It has been designed to transport lunch-breakers to Paris, encouraging workers to 'do as les Français' – who are notorious for making the most of their slow-paced and leisurely lunches. A spokesperson from the brand said: 'Lunchbreaks shouldn't be a luxury – and especially not something we feel pressured to forego. 'Even though life is busy and work is important, we need to remember to take time out for ourselves to really get that break we need – and go back to work energised, refreshed, and satisfied by a delicious meal we were able to properly savour.' This is clearly needed, as 22 per cent believe we don't respect our midday meal enough in this country, especially compared to others in Europe – with Spain (33 per cent), Italy (28 per cent), and France (27 per cent) the most enviable. Respect was also missing from their employers' attitudes towards this sacred time according to 23 per cent, with four in 10 declaring employers should encourage all staff to take their full lunchbreaks. But even when those polled do manage to take time for a midday meal, over half (51 per cent) often do something work-related, such as checking emails or answering calls. This may be because 52 per cent admitted they tend to stay at their desks during lunch, even if not doing work – with a popular alternative being mindlessly scrolling through social media (42 per cent). And of those who do work through this period, over a fifth (22 per cent) admitted they would find it hard to break the unhealthy habit if they were given the chance. This revelation comes despite 37 per cent agreeing regularly not taking a lunchbreak can lead to burnout and can negatively affect work performance (28 per cent). As a result of these non-existent lunchbreaks, food choices also suffer – with 42 per cent rating them as 'average', or worse, according to data. The phenomenon also leads to lunchtime being a solitary affair in the UK, with 38 per cent revealing they typically spend this time alone, despite just under half (46 per cent) saying they would enjoy this time much more if they ate with others. St. Pierre's spokesperson added: 'It's a sad state of affairs that our main break during a long day of work isn't really being treated as one – and that we can't seem to switch off even when given permission. 'There's something to be learned from the French here – taking that moment to really unwind and enjoy a delicious meal, without thinking about other things. 'We're also missing a prime opportunity in our everyday lives to connect with other people over good food and conversation.'
