100 Foodbanks

Foodbanks are

  • Sign of a successful United Kingdom

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • A necessity

    Votes: 4 10.8%
  • Sign of a failing United Kingdom

    Votes: 18 48.6%
  • An embarrassment

    Votes: 15 40.5%

  • Total voters
    37

capfits

Member
In 2010.
In 2021 the Trussel Trust alone manages 1200. There are no doubt a good many more independent ones.
Is this a sign of a successful or failing United Kingdom?
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Quite clearly there's something wrong. Yet on the other hand, it's lucky there's so much food wastage to supply food banks.......
Too many people on this small island.
Too big an extreme between the very rich, and the very poor.
Too many draws for a meagre income. Everyone has to have a phone/ sky TV/ Laptop/ holiday abroad. 50 years ago folks would be happy with a tent and a B & W TV from Radio Rentals.
As said above it's difficult to see how food could be much cheaper. A 25kg bag of spuds and a couple of £3 chickens should go a long way. £6 ready meals do not.
 

hoff135

Member
Location
scotland
Combination of factors id guess. Some are just lazy and useless and won't work so will use food banks. I'm sure the crippling costs of housing will be hurting many others. On the other end too many people getting vastly rich and not being pulled down to size.
 
Or its sign of the times that SOME will use food banks as a free source of food, afaik no checks are actually done on those who use them. Of course it's not PC to question them
Not sure that this is always the case @robs1 . During lockdown and since, we have been supporting three local Food banks,( although since the ending of restrictions, the two smaller village ones have ceased operating due to their service being no longer required). The main one, in Shrewsbury requires referral from a GP or Social Services, in order to receive support, and helps people in need from all over the County.
 

Old Boar

Member
Location
West Wales
I disagree. You have to be referred to a food bank, usually by a Health Visitor or Social worker. You can then get 3 days worth of food, donated by shops etc. and there are a limited number of times you can go. They are mostly used by people of working age, middle-aged rather than young or old, mostly living in rented accommodation. Many are on zero hours contract, a certain way to get into debt.
There has been a huge growth in the need for food banks since the reorganisation of an in particular delays in payments during the transition to universal credit. Could you go six weeks without any money coming in and still pay your rent and keep warm? Yes, you probably could as you have savings in the bank, but many people live from pay check to pay check, do not own huge TVs etc.
Of course there are those who do not budget, who are feckless with money, but for those that need to eat, food banks are literally a life saver. They do not only provide food, they provide and ear and signposts to help.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones if you have never gone hungry, never been unable to put the heating on, or found yourself homeless. Show some compassion.
 

robs1

Member
I disagree. You have to be referred to a food bank, usually by a Health Visitor or Social worker. You can then get 3 days worth of food, donated by shops etc. and there are a limited number of times you can go. They are mostly used by people of working age, middle-aged rather than young or old, mostly living in rented accommodation. Many are on zero hours contract, a certain way to get into debt.
There has been a huge growth in the need for food banks since the reorganisation of an in particular delays in payments during the transition to universal credit. Could you go six weeks without any money coming in and still pay your rent and keep warm? Yes, you probably could as you have savings in the bank, but many people live from pay check to pay check, do not own huge TVs etc.
Of course there are those who do not budget, who are feckless with money, but for those that need to eat, food banks are literally a life saver. They do not only provide food, they provide and ear and signposts to help.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones if you have never gone hungry, never been unable to put the heating on, or found yourself homeless. Show some compassion.
I said some,my mrs is a hv so I do know how it should work and she does refer people some in real need, however at times those in real need for food for their kids spend their social on drugs and or drink, they know the rules of the game too well, I have lots of compassion for those in real need
 

Danllan

Member
Location
Sir Gar / Carms
In 2010.
In 2021 the Trussel Trust alone manages 1200. There are no doubt a good many more independent ones.
Is this a sign of a successful or failing United Kingdom?
What with your previous, can't help thinking this is just a go for a lefty whinge. But, giving the benefit of the doubt... let's ask why the food banks are there, shall we...? Obvious answer = because some people can't afford to feed themselves, and it seems reasonable to break this down:

a) Some of these are people who have / have had a genuine run of bad luck, despite doing all that they reasonably could have been expected to do to see themselves right.

b) Some are profligate idiots and time-wasters who can't be arsed to do anything for themselves, just wanting others to do everything for them, scum in my view.

c) Some are 'vulnerable' people who have come here from abroad for a better life, meaning either they want to work and contribute to as well as gain from this society, or that they are just immigrant scum much along the lines of our own lot in (b).

Of course the 'benefits' system should preclude the need for food banks, but it doesn't. That is partly because some people fit into category (b) and the second half of (c); it is also partly because the benefits aren't high enough.

I have no idea what could be successfully done, in legislatory terms, to cater for the scummy types. It seems to me - and I've met, worked with, defended / prosecuted loads of them - that a large number are simply incapable of taking responsibility for themselves; to the point where the public / state needs to take that responsibility, fully.

For the remainder, I think the benefits should be increased; but, being a horrible 'right-wing-nationalist' (I am a nationalist with a small 'n', but not really right wing) I think that should not be done by taking more money from taxpayers. Instead, I think it should be found by reducing what we give to those who could help themselves but can't be bothered to and from what we send as non-strategic and non-emergency foreign aid.

I would also see non-beneficial - meaning not of benefit to the UK - immigration hammered, with direct repatriation and right of appeal only from country of origin. This need not affect people in genuine need of asylum, but would be aimed at all others. And that's because it is manifestly absurd for us to allow, and for the Left / Liberals to encourage the importation of other countries' poor while we still have our own to deal with.
 

JCMaloney

Member
Location
LE9 2JG
I think the idea is good, as a "poor kid" growing up in a council house to a single parent we often got "surprise pie" made of stuff gifted from freinds, family & neighbours.

These days the whole social cohesion of looking out for the neighbours seems broken, I could be wrong. Same as keeping your front tidy!

We have a local foodbank set up at a kids adventure playground, a community charity affair that I have a lot of time for. They provide the little urchins somewhere to go play games, do educational stuff, play football etc etc. The parents can just drop the kids off and leave them to burn off energy.
The foodbank aspect is well supported by the local Co-Op, Morrisons and us locals.

What really boils my urine is that you will often find the carrier bags of fresh veg dumped in the bins after the crisps, pasta, chocolate, canned stuff etc etc has been taken out.

If you aren`t going to use it don`t fudging take it! :mad:
 

Swarfmonkey

Member
Location
Hampshire
There isn't a single state in Europe that doesn't have food banks, right down to tiny (but incredibly rich on a GDP/Capita basis) Liechtenstein.

As to what drives people to use food banks, it's a little more complicated than it first appears with more than 40% (according to research the Trussell Trust itself commissioned a few years ago) using them due to issues with benefits - either delays in paying them, or changes to them.

Anyway, the Trussell Trust has gone the way of many charities. It's now more like a business, with a CEO whose total pay and pension package is more than £130,000 a year.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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