“The queue to get food grows every day”: the impact of the marked increase in the cost of living in the United Kingdom

When Angela Doggett opens the doors to the community center, she’s used to seeing a handful of familiar faces come by to pick up groceries that will help them through the week.

But lately there aren’t a few Few regular visitors. A long line of people awaits her who come to the center in search of help.

“I would say that in the last two months we have seen the queue increase from four or five people to 25 or 30 ”, tells the BBC the manager of the Bechange project in Aylesham, Kent, in the south-east of the United Kingdom.

“They are people with young families, older people and people who are working… I am seeing new people that I had not seen the previous week”, he says.

And it is that inflation in the United Kingdom Kingdom is increasing at its fastest rate in 18 years. In the last months up to February, prices rose by an average of 6.2% and the situation is expected to – driven mainly by the global increase in the price of energy- get worse and even reach double digits.

This is a problem that also affects the rest of Europe, such as Spain, where the Inflation in March rose 9.8% from a year ago, its highest level in 27 years.

Increasing demand

“We are receiving people who come from further away, from out of town and taking things for their family and neighbors because they’re worried about them too,” Doggett continues.

She’s not alone: ​​other nonprofits and community groups that help people at risk of hunger are seeing an increase in demand for their s services.

“Between a year and 18 months we sent 1.500 trays of food per week, now there are 3.,” says Emma White, shift manager at the FareShare distribution center in Kent.

The The findings are part of a new survey by FareShare, a charity network that distributes surplus food to thousands of organizations across the UK.

Of the 1.200 groups that participated in the survey, the 90% said their job is being affected by the cost of living crisis.

FareShare says they don’t have enough food to meet the growing need of aid.

Now he is launching a campaign to get more donations from the food industry to try to keep up with the demand.

“Between a year and 18 months we sent 1.500 trays of food per week, now 3 .,” says Emma White, shift manager at FareShare’s distribution center in Kent.

“I think this figure could double again in the coming months”.

FareShare has 30 warehouses regional throughout the country. Teams of volunteers wearing high visibility vests collect and package large quantities of unsold or unwanted food from supermarkets and food manufacturers.

Smaller amounts of surplus food are also collected directly from retailers and outlets. sale of takeaway food.

Much of it is fresh and nutritious produce that would otherwise go to waste.

Price increase

FareShare estimates that it helps feed more than one million people in the UK every week.

The increase in energy costs is one of the main reasons behind inflation.

“Could be e be a homeless shelter, school breakfast club, or food bank. We are serving all areas of the UK in different communities,” Emma, ​​​​who is also a volunteer, explains to the BBC.

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More than 75% of the organizations that responded to the FareShare survey said they had seen an increase in demand.

Among the reasons people access their services, the 65% said that it was due to the increase in the cost of food, while the 52% said that the increase in gas and electricity bills was also a factor.

Ansie dad

At Project Bechange, volunteers collect food once a week and place it neatly on tables in the community room for anyone who comes.

Alison Trevellion, of 55 years , depends on this help to make ends meet.

Every Friday, Alison Trevellion, from 55 years, joins the queue to wait for the doors to open.

“I am going to make a soup with delicious vegetables that will last me a few days. I also pick fresh fruit… you shouldn’t be distressed or embarrassed about coming here,” she says. “This is for everyone”.

Alison has been coming to Bechange for a couple of months now and she says it is a great help because the money is now very scarce.

“Perhaps I am one of the lucky ones. I work part time, I get Universal Credit (financial aid from the government), but I still worry when I think about how much gas and electricity are going up and I just don’t think this government is in touch with reality,” he says.

“I would love for them to have my salary for a month and for me to have theirs. Because they would never come here”.

Alison says she manages, but can’t stop thinking about what lies ahead.

Although Alison is coping for now, she is very anxious about what she may come.

” I go to bed at night, I start thinking about things. And I start rubbing my hair. And I have a bald spot there, because I’m so worried about everything.”

The workers and volunteers of this small center also notice the growing anxiety.

“It’s really shocking because it involves all kinds of people. There really is no end to this. We know things are going to get worse, they know things are going to get worse,” says Doggett.