FoodBank collection at Sainsburys a success - but Government fails to deliver

Last Saturday I had the honour of joining the dedicated band of FoodBank volunteers at Sainsburys in Grantham. They were collecting donations of food from Sainsbury's customers, sorting them and transporting the food to the FoodBank office in St Catherine's Road.

It was a humbling and heartwarming experience to see the generosity of local people. It was also clear from the content of the trolleys that went by that many people are struggling themselves. As we took donations and sorted the food I was constantly reminded of the families needing help. I would like to say that I would find it hard to imagine what it must be like to have an empty foodcupboard.but I don't have to imagine. A childhood spent in poverty carved such images in my mind and stomach. My mother somehow always managed to rustle us up something but I didnt taste roast beef until I had my own job in my early twenties.

It is sobering to realise just how close so many of us are to the poverty line. Not only those in long term poverty dependent on benefits, including many working, are struggling. Middle class people are also affected. I visited the Council Tax Benefits team this week. Many of their callers are used to a decent income but committed to a large mortgage suddenly find themselves out of a job and facing high outgoings. Savings quickly disappear. Their benefit entitlement is minimal too. Far more people are at risk than we may like to think.

I found it disturbing to hear from Brian Hanbury, FoodBank Project Co-ordinator that the Government has failed to rollout the allocation of Foodbank vouchers to JobCentre Plus. Foodbank have identified over 70% of people they should be helping cannot get aid because the Job Centres do not hold the vouchers required. All the Job Centres need to do is complete a simple form to put food on the table of a family in need.
Quick to deliver cuts the Government has been far less efficient at supporting those volunteering to make up for the shortfalls in our welfare system. A system which we should never forget supports one of the most inequal societies in the world.

Whilst I was helping a local gent came up to me. He sighed, shook his head and said " I never thought I would see the day when British families would need help with food." He went on to say "This Government came in on a pack of lies. I was a Tory, I voted for them....I didn't vote for this...I won't be voting Tory next time".

During the election campaign on the podium David Cameron accused Gordon Brown of lying when Labour said that a Tory Government would hurt ordinary people. Who is the liar now David?

Perhaps there is a reason the Coallition Government have failed to support FoodBank. Perhaps they would rather people sat at home hungry than queued outside a FoodBank centre for food. No doubt they would rather keep their failure hidden.

In the meanwhile the determined supporters of FoodBank will keep battling on against the odds, and I will be proud to join them.