Assembly Member Says Food Poverty in H&F is a "Scandal"

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As the number of people using the local foodbank rockets

 

Murad Qureshi AM, London Londonwide Assembly Member has described new figures showing rising food poverty in Hammersmith and Fulham as "horrifying".

The figures released this month show food poverty in the borough is continuing to rocket with The Trussell Trust, the charity running 39 foodbanks in London, recording a 60% increase in people visiting its local food bank.

In 2009 there were six food banks run by the Trussell Trust in London, and today there are 39, with numbers of visitors in the past year increasing at an alarming rate.

Murad Qureshi says: " Food poverty in modern Britain is a scandal. And it is horrifying that in London, one of the world’s richest cities, the number of people reliant on food banks has almost doubled in the past year. 

" From April 2013 to March 2014 over 95,000 people in London – 4,141 in Hammersmith and Fulham – were fed by Trussell Trust’s foodbank. This includes working people whose wages simply won’t stretch and who can’t afford to buy enough food for their families.

" The Mayor has to take a lead in working with partner organisations to help lift London families out of food poverty, and it is astonishing that despite these figures the Mayor has still refused to visit a foodbank in his six years in office. I am calling on him to visit a local foodbank in Hammersmith and Fulham so he can hear directly why people are hungry in our city."

The foodbank is a store of food donated by the community which can be distributed to people in crisis, including non-perishable staples such as tins of soup, beans, tomatoes, vegetables, meat, fish and fruit, along with dried cereal, pasta, instant mash, tea or coffee, biscuits, sugar, juice and dried milk

The scheme provides provides each person requiring emergency relief with enough food to make ten meals for them and their families. In the four years since its launch in our borough on June 22, 2010, the foodbank has provided over 91,000 meals.

Hammersmith and Fulham has two distribution centres;

Fulham Distribution Centre
Christ Church Fulham
67 Studdridge Street
Fulham SW6 3TD 

OPEN EVERY WEEK:
Tuesdays: 10.30 am - 1.00pm
Fridays: 2.00 pm - 4.30pm

Shepherds Bush Distribution Centre
St Simons
Rockley Road
Shepherds Bush W14 0DA

OPEN EVERY WEEK:
Thursdays: 1.00pm - 3.00pm

Clients may be seen outside of these times, by pre-arranged appointment only, in Fulham. 

For more info, please contact the office by emailing admin@hffb.org or calling 0207 751 2248.

The foodbank, which currently has a plentiful supply of baked beans, biscuits, tuna, cereal and pasta/rice says other food donations are welcome at the distribution centres during opening hours. 

   

In addition, you can drop off food during their opening hours at collection points at Budgens, Munster Road;  Tesco Shepherd's Bush Rd;  Sainsburys Fulham,Townmead Rd; Sainsburys, Fulham Broadway Shopping Centre AND at the Halifax Building Society, King Street.

Also, at the main LBHF Libraries: Askew Road Library (87 - 91 Askew Road), Shepherd's Bush Library (6 Wood Lane), Hammersmith Library and Fulham Library. The foodbank may also be able to arrange to collect a food gift from you.  Please ring 020 7751 2248 to check availability or to arrange a delivery.

 

June 27, 2014