A Salford Nursery has set up a food bank for the community after more and more Salford citizens are having to use foodbanks, after the second lockdown has left many families struggling to feed their children.
Foodbanks across Salford have seen an increasing demand especially for families with young children who have now had their school dinners cancelled.
Since 5th November, the number of people looking for help from foodbanks in Salford has risen with some families using foodbanks for the first time. Over the past year, foodbanks across the UK have seen over 300,000 more people using their services, the highest yearly increase since 2012 according to the Office of National Statistics.
A report published today by the Office of National Statistics has seen an increase in unemployment, rising to 4.8% of the UK population. This is the largest increase since March 2009. In the report, analysts say many employers made their staff redundant ahead of the end of the national furlough scheme in October. The scheme has now been extended until the end of March 2021 but it has left thousands without jobs.
The Salford population experiences the highest rates of unemployment in Greater Manchester, with 3.9% of men and 5.9% of women according to the Official Labour Market Statistics.
KidzRUs are a company with 5 nursery schools across Salford. They have started a foodbank over the past 18 months and have been providing the community with food and support. The owner, Nicky Fleury, is worried about the amount of people having to come for help. She stated: “We’ve probably seen about a 60% or 70% increase [of people visiting KidzRUs]. I had a phone call the other day from a couple asking if they could collect if they didn’t have a child and I said of course. It’s not for us to judge”.
The Salford nursery KidzRUs, has set up a foodbank that offers a ‘no questions asked’ policy where people in need can access the food they need with no tokens or proof of unemployment, unlike many other foodbanks.
They have opened a separate entrance in the back of the nursery so anyone visiting will feel secure and have their privacy protected as many people often feel embarrassed about visiting.
“We have had so many people since the new lockdown” Fleury stated. “People have lost their jobs, been made redundant. So many people coming to us have never visited a foodbank before.
“We rely on donations. Its then not down to us to decide who these donations are being shared with. All we know is that these people are desperate for help”.
Since their foodbank has opened, they have received dozens of messages of gratitude for helping them in their time of need. These are some of the anonymous messages, read by actors.
KidzRUs use their foodbanks as part of their nurseries’ learning experiences. The children help stock the shelves and organise food parcels. Fleury claims that the experience helps teach the children responsibility and improves their emotional understanding.
The foodbank works as a learning experience for the children, being taught why people would need a foodbank and the social responsibilities of having the foodbanks.
With many foodbanks across Salford seeing increased demand, they are in need for more donations and support from the community. The KidsRUs staff and kids need more food to stock their shelves.
If you would like to donate, these are the addresses for Salford foodbanks:
KidzRUs MediaCity: Glenn House, Houston Park, Manchester M50 2RP
The Trussell Trust Salford Foodbank: Kansas Ave, Salford M50 2GL
One Comment