A FOOD bank has told how thousands of Tameside people are using it – and it expects rates to only go up because of Government welfare changes.
Tameside East, operated by the Trussell Trust, has four centres in Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Dukinfield, manned by just over 100 volunteers.
And the cost of living crisis has seen the numbers of people it serves soar to an astonishing 7,900, the majority of whom are single men.
Add in other food banks in the borough – Tameside South and Longdendale, Droylsden and District, Denton’s St Mary’s and Mossley – as well as organisations like Bread and Butter Thing and the figure would be comfortably into five figures.
However, forthcoming changes to benefit eligibility, particularly around disability, brought in by the Government are said to be hitting 700,000 families across the country.
Little wonder those at Tameside East, who give put parcels of three meals for three days, are expecting numbers to go up even more.
“In the financial year, we fed 7,905 people – and we’re only one of the food banks in Tameside,” said project co-ordinator Jean Fitzsimons at Tameside East’s centre at Ashton’s New Life Church.
“Our client numbers are going up. We were just over 7,000 last year, so it’s almost another 1,000.
“We haven’t made it bigger but the demand is bigger and that’s our issue, there are various things going on.
“We have an increase in numbers of clients because there are a lot of HMOs in the area. Here and in in Stalybridge, That’s not an issue but it’s a concern, and it has to be recognised.
“We’re supposed to be an emergency service. We’re not a long-term solution.”
New Life Church’s pastor, Stuart Gosling, is one of the volunteers making sure Tameside East – which also operates from Stalybridge’s St Matthew’s, Dukinfield’s St John’s and Reach Church in Millbrook – serves people.
But he is in no doubt the squeeze on people’s pockets has resulted in the rise, with another spike to come.
He said: “That figure is just our part of it – it’s not for the whole of Tameside – and when that cut comes in, it can only go up.
“It is an emergency and people are becoming dependent on food banks. It’s becoming a dependency.
“Rises in the cost of living is the biggest issue. We get working people coming here and they’re often quite embarrassed.
“I had a guy on the phone. He’d separated from his partner, he’s got the kids. It’s like, ‘I’ve never been in this position before. I’ve never had to do this.
“’I’m a working person. I don’t know what I’m doing.’ He was in tears.
“He said, ‘I’ve gone to CAB. They’re supposed to come back to me and I’ve got no food in the cupboard. What am I supposed to do?’
“That’s the level of phone calls we get.”
Numbers of the people using food banks in Tameside may be rising but the level of funding they are receiving is not.
And Jean told of another deficit they have – what they provide.
She added: “The stock we had coming in from donors last month, we got 869 kilos. The stock that went out through our centres was 1,849 kilos.”
Stuart continued: “We have to plug it. We have some funding but the problem is, there’s only so much of it.
“The level of giving to supermarkets has gone right down and the more you start eating into those reserves to keep up with this demand, it’s not good.
“Historically, it’s always been relying on the supermarkets. Now we’re talking about appealing to businesses because they get tax breaks for charitable work.
“Could that be another way? Because we’re aware of trying to get it out there when people are going, ‘I can’t afford to be giving.’
“And we believe that with the cuts coming in, this demand is going to go up. The food level is going up, but what we’re able to bring in is not going up.
“Even with some money, it’s still not going to be enough.”
Volunteers at Tameside East Foodbank have heard many tales of people falling through gaps, of a 17-year-old girl sleeping at the bus station, only to be told, ‘Tell her to stay there, we’ll come and find her.’
Stuart recalled: “She came in two weeks’ later.’ What happened? Did anyone come?’ ‘No-one came.’
“’Where have you been sleeping?’ ‘Well back up over there in the trees.’ The attitude is ‘They’re young, they can survive on the street a bit.’”
Tameside East Foodbank has teamed up with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and housing organisations to provide advice to service users.
But while helping thousands of people, volunteers have seen the comments on social media and heard people moaning about them in the street.
Jean added: “The majority of people are referred to us through agencies.
“We’ve got about 90 active ones and they do ask those questions. That person’s been asked whether they’re working, whether they’re on benefits.
“That leads to have they got delays in their benefits? Are they maybe waiting for a PIP application to come through? Have they been working and now they’re not? Or have they been on benefits but now they’re working but they haven’t been paid?
“We ask about health and whether it’s a health issue. While we don’t go down to the nitty gritty, there are specific questions that we ask people that we hope that they will answer.”
Stuart, who issued an appeal as the food bank needs a short wheelbase van, told The Correspondent: “When someone first walks through the door, it’s a no-judgment thing.
“But you often talk to people before that and find out a little bit about them and if they come through the right system with the food vouchers, they’ve already had a few questions asked.
“But I see it when I browse through social media, the ignorant comments.
“’Get rid of them. There’ll be more resources.’ That’s not going to solve the issue because they’re not taking all the resources.
“There are working people who are very much here with families. They’re not all mums with eight kids on benefits. That’s a traditional view of a food bank. It really isn’t that.
“It’s mostly everyday people. The guy driving your taxi, the guy that lives next door to you. It’s a view that needs changing.”