Latest news with #TheTrussellTrust
Pembrokeshire Herald
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire MP praises Neyland therapy centre
171,673 emergency parcels distributed across Wales last year A GROWING number of Welsh families are relying on food banks, with new figures showing that nearly 172,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales between April 2024 and March 2025. The data, released today (Friday, May 23) by anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, shows the scale of food poverty in the UK – with 2.9 million parcels handed out nationally. Over one million of those were for children. In Wales, food parcel distribution has increased by 26% since 2019/20, a sign that for many communities, hunger is becoming normalised. The figures have sparked renewed calls for government action, with well-known faces including Dame Julie Walters and Lesley Manville urging ministers to address what they describe as a national emergency. Dame Julie said: 'Emergency food distribution is being normalised in the UK. These stats highlight the need for us to come together and play our part in saying this isn't right.' In Pembrokeshire and across rural Wales, campaigners warn that the situation is worsened by isolation, limited services, and higher energy bills – all pushing vulnerable people to crisis point. Actor Lesley Manville, who recently won an Olivier Award, said: 'I'm shocked at the extremely high levels of emergency food parcels being distributed by food banks, especially the sharp rise in children under five needing support. This has to be a wake-up call for the UK government.' In Wales, more than 187,000 parcels were distributed the previous year – a drop in 2024/25, but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said this cannot be seen as a success: 'Thousands of families, disabled people, and working households had to access food banks. This should be a massive wake-up call.' Comedian Rosie Jones said that proposed UK Government cuts to disability benefits could make matters worse: 'Slashing the income of someone already struggling to cover life's essentials is cruel and counterproductive.' In Pembrokeshire, food banks such as PATCH in Milford Haven and the Trussell-linked outlets in Haverfordwest and Fishguard have seen sustained high demand. Volunteers warn that without local donations and support, they would struggle to meet needs. TV presenter and Trussell ambassador AJ Odudu added: 'Right now, someone needs an emergency food parcel every 11 seconds. It's never been more vital that we all play our part.' The charity is calling for an urgent re-think on proposed welfare cuts and for the UK Government to take decisive action to reduce hunger and hardship. Campaigners are also urging the public to donate food or money to their local food bank. A postcode search tool showing how many parcels were distributed in each area is available at:
Pembrokeshire Herald
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Milford Haven Inner Wheel donates £700 to Megan's Starr Foundation
171,673 emergency parcels distributed across Wales last year A GROWING number of Welsh families are relying on food banks, with new figures showing that nearly 172,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales between April 2024 and March 2025. The data, released today (Friday, May 23) by anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, shows the scale of food poverty in the UK – with 2.9 million parcels handed out nationally. Over one million of those were for children. In Wales, food parcel distribution has increased by 26% since 2019/20, a sign that for many communities, hunger is becoming normalised. The figures have sparked renewed calls for government action, with well-known faces including Dame Julie Walters and Lesley Manville urging ministers to address what they describe as a national emergency. Dame Julie said: 'Emergency food distribution is being normalised in the UK. These stats highlight the need for us to come together and play our part in saying this isn't right.' In Pembrokeshire and across rural Wales, campaigners warn that the situation is worsened by isolation, limited services, and higher energy bills – all pushing vulnerable people to crisis point. Actor Lesley Manville, who recently won an Olivier Award, said: 'I'm shocked at the extremely high levels of emergency food parcels being distributed by food banks, especially the sharp rise in children under five needing support. This has to be a wake-up call for the UK government.' In Wales, more than 187,000 parcels were distributed the previous year – a drop in 2024/25, but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said this cannot be seen as a success: 'Thousands of families, disabled people, and working households had to access food banks. This should be a massive wake-up call.' Comedian Rosie Jones said that proposed UK Government cuts to disability benefits could make matters worse: 'Slashing the income of someone already struggling to cover life's essentials is cruel and counterproductive.' In Pembrokeshire, food banks such as PATCH in Milford Haven and the Trussell-linked outlets in Haverfordwest and Fishguard have seen sustained high demand. Volunteers warn that without local donations and support, they would struggle to meet needs. TV presenter and Trussell ambassador AJ Odudu added: 'Right now, someone needs an emergency food parcel every 11 seconds. It's never been more vital that we all play our part.' The charity is calling for an urgent re-think on proposed welfare cuts and for the UK Government to take decisive action to reduce hunger and hardship. Campaigners are also urging the public to donate food or money to their local food bank. A postcode search tool showing how many parcels were distributed in each area is available at:
Pembrokeshire Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Wales sees surge in food bank use as celebrities urge UK Government to act
171,673 emergency parcels distributed across Wales last year A GROWING number of Welsh families are relying on food banks, with new figures showing that nearly 172,000 emergency food parcels were distributed across Wales between April 2024 and March 2025. The data, released today (Friday, May 23) by anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust, shows the scale of food poverty in the UK – with 2.9 million parcels handed out nationally. Over one million of those were for children. In Wales, food parcel distribution has increased by 26% since 2019/20, a sign that for many communities, hunger is becoming normalised. The figures have sparked renewed calls for government action, with well-known faces including Dame Julie Walters and Lesley Manville urging ministers to address what they describe as a national emergency. Dame Julie said: 'Emergency food distribution is being normalised in the UK. These stats highlight the need for us to come together and play our part in saying this isn't right.' In Pembrokeshire and across rural Wales, campaigners warn that the situation is worsened by isolation, limited services, and higher energy bills – all pushing vulnerable people to crisis point. Actor Lesley Manville, who recently won an Olivier Award, said: 'I'm shocked at the extremely high levels of emergency food parcels being distributed by food banks, especially the sharp rise in children under five needing support. This has to be a wake-up call for the UK government.' In Wales, more than 187,000 parcels were distributed the previous year – a drop in 2024/25, but still far above pre-pandemic levels. Trussell Trust chief executive Emma Revie said this cannot be seen as a success: 'Thousands of families, disabled people, and working households had to access food banks. This should be a massive wake-up call.' Comedian Rosie Jones said that proposed UK Government cuts to disability benefits could make matters worse: 'Slashing the income of someone already struggling to cover life's essentials is cruel and counterproductive.' In Pembrokeshire, food banks such as PATCH in Milford Haven and the Trussell-linked outlets in Haverfordwest and Fishguard have seen sustained high demand. Volunteers warn that without local donations and support, they would struggle to meet needs. TV presenter and Trussell ambassador AJ Odudu added: 'Right now, someone needs an emergency food parcel every 11 seconds. It's never been more vital that we all play our part.' The charity is calling for an urgent re-think on proposed welfare cuts and for the UK Government to take decisive action to reduce hunger and hardship. Campaigners are also urging the public to donate food or money to their local food bank. A postcode search tool showing how many parcels were distributed in each area is available at:
The National
30-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Hunger and hardship costing Scottish economy £5.6bn a year
Anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust has released a report which details how Scotland's economy loses out on over £2.9bn each year due to reduced employment and lower productivity, because of the ways in which hunger and hardship can harm people's chances of gaining and maintaining stable employment. The public purse also loses out on over £1.4bn in income from taxes (tax revenue) each year and needs to spend an additional £405 million on social security payments as a result of people facing hunger and hardship in Scotland. The charity has also found hunger and hardship are costing the UK Government £75 billion a year and is calling on Labour to rethink planned cuts to support for disabled people and reform Universal Credit. Planned changes are set to make it harder for people to qualify for Personal Independence Payments, with the Office for Budget Responsibility estimating 52% of claimants will lose their entitlements. READ MORE: Grangemouth closure nothing short of economic crisis – Kate Forbes The Scottish-specific report found failure to address hunger and hardship in Scotland leads to £860m in additional spending each year on public services like the NHS, schools, children's social care, and more. Over half of this figure is spent on healthcare in Scotland alone, due to how hunger and hardship is linked to worse physical and mental health While pressure is being applied to the UK Government, Cara Hilton, senior policy and public affairs manager at Trussell Trust, said the Scottish Government also has "significant powers" to turn the tide on hunger and hardship. (Image: PA) Trussell is calling on the Scottish Government to increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 a week and take action to reduce the disability employment gap, which would lift 36,000 people out of hunger and hardship. "Trussell's major new research demonstrates the huge impact of hunger and hardship on Scotland's public services and the cost of failing to act," she said. 'The Scottish Government has significant powers to turn the tide on hunger and hardship and must take bold and decisive action in Programme for Government next month, so no one else has to experience hunger and hardship under their watch. 'Not only is it the right thing to do, its common sense for our economy. Scottish and UK governments have both a moral and economic responsibility to act. There is no time to lose. READ MORE: Local representatives react to Grangemouth oil refinery's last day "At the same time, we are calling on Holyrood to use its voice to urge the UK Government to rethink its cruel cuts to disability benefits, which risk pushing more disabled people to the doors of food banks.' Across the UK, Trussell is calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished which it says would lift 27,000 people in Scotland out of hunger and hardship by 2025/26. This would lead to a reduction in costs to the economy, public services and public purse of £115m, the charity says. The Cost of Hunger and Hardship report includes analysis from economic and public policy experts WPI Economics.
