Local foodbank saw number of individuals accessing service double in 2020.
Abigail Taylor
Statistics released from Uist and Barra Foodbank reveal the extent of hardship individuals and families across the islands are experiencing, with demand for the emergency service rising significantly in 2020.
458 adults received support from the foodbank in 2020, more than double the number, 221, recorded in 2019. In the same period the number of children receiving support increased more than 80 percent, rising from 80 in 2019 to 145 in 2020. 167 food parcels were issued from Uist and Barra Foodbank in 2019 and this number also went up more than 80 percent, to 308, in 2020.
Uist and Barra Foodbank manager, Janet Atkin, said the figures confirm there are more families than ever before in need of the service: “We are grateful that more people are reaching out for help as nobody should be going hungry if they cannot afford to buy food and we are here to help in any way we can.”
While news that so many local people need to access emergency food supplies might surprise some, the increase in demand, which continues into 2021, was no shock to the team at Uist and Barra Foodbank.
“In the socioeconomic update published earlier this year, it was noted that weekly pay in the Outer Hebrides has increased 8.5 percent since last year,” said Janet.
“Even though the pay has increased, we are still the eighth lowest paid council area in Scotland.
“Many of our clients find that their outgoings for the basics, like rent, electricity and heating are leaving them in deficit as their incomes are much lower than their expenses.
“We sadly expected to see an increase in usage, even before the pandemic, as we had noticed a trend of more people requiring emergency food.”
30 volunteers worked around the clock to ensure that the foodbank remained open through the pandemic, despite some having to shield. Meanwhile the introduction of a delivery service reduced contact with volunteers and clients and provided a lifeline to the community.
“We used to do a weekly food parcel before COVID-19 and then moved to a fortnightly parcel when we had a lot of support from volunteers,” explained Janet.
“But now we have found a monthly parcel works best for us and the clients. It takes the worry off the shoulders of the clients with extra support and they always know that if their supply runs out before the month is over we will restock and it means less trips in the van for delivery.”
Uist and Barra Foodbank was established in 2018 and since then, thanks to the kindness of people who have donated and offered their time, hundreds of individuals and families have received support from the service, which is based at East Camp in Balivanich.
However, in addition to the provision of food supplies, the foodbank acts as a point of contact and support for people going through a tough time, with the team at East Camp working closely with agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau.
“We do not just provide food. We listen to our clients and tailor the level of support to what the individual needs,” explained Janet.
“With this approach and not expecting every client to be the same, we can signpost to the relevant agencies, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. We will do everything we can to offer support and ease the burden on our clients.
We look at the longer term and see how we can make a difference to the lives of our clients. If there is support available we will try to access for our clients.
“We do not judge and look to respect all our clients,” continued Janet.
“We have stock at the foodbank and would much rather see it used to help someone who cannot afford food and is going hungry. We do not want people struggling to feed themselves and their families.”
Inevitably the much-needed continuation of the service depends on the dozens of people who make regular donation to Uist and Barra Foodbank.
“Since we opened in 2018 our community has been extremely generous and it has been overwhelming seeing how that continued and grew over the last year,” said Janet.
“We could not have achieved what we have this past year without our the help of our community. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped one way or another, between money, helping with deliveries or dropping off items. It has been absolutely amazing.”
Uist and Barra Foodbank operates from East Camp in Balivanich. Look out for more details on the ‘Uist and Barra Foodbank’ pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information on accessing the service, send an email to info@uistbarra.foodbank.org.uk or telephone the office and leave a message (01870603819).
