Stand Against Rising Costs & Food Poverty

Aim

Empowering Bournemouth to combat rising living costs, providing food security & fostering community resilience.

In these unprecedented times, families in our community face a growing challenge. The rising cost of living has turned ordinary everyday decisions into daunting dilemmas. For many, it has become increasingly difficult to afford the essentials, let alone ensure that their children receive a nutritious meal every day.

In our work at the Bournemouth Foodbank, we witness these hardships daily. The personal stories of families and individuals grappling with food poverty are heart-wrenching. Last year, Bournemouth Foodbank saw a record-breaking 13.4% increase in support requests, with a total of 12,577 individuals, of which 3,611 were children. Overall, we provided 113,193 meals in the form of emergency food parcels. This figure underscores the escalating challenges our community is facing. Even more alarming, there has been a 73.6% surge in food bank use in Bournemouth since 2018, which signals a deeper, long-standing crisis.

Learn more about Bournemouth Foodbank's latest stats.

As food banks’ demand increases, we’ve noticed that most of those seeking help from Bournemouth Foodbank do so sporadically, often in moments of unexpected crisis. Furthermore, it’s important to note that many of our visitors are hardworking individuals and families who, despite being in employment, struggle to make ends meet due to the increasing cost of living, low wages, and zero-hour contracts.

Due to this increased demand, we are launching two new Foodbank Hubs in the west of Bournemouth this year, making a total of six hubs. Your donations will enable us to continue expanding the distribution of this much-needed food.

But our work extends beyond emergency food provision. We aim to break the cycle of poverty and instil confidence and self-sufficiency within our community. By offering guidance, training, upskilling and employability programmes, we strive to create opportunities that can transform lives.

Students at our hospitality and employability course this February. Read about it.

In our continued efforts to foster community spirit, we’ve initiated pop-up cafés events where our community can gather over a warm meal and share moments of companionship. These oases of hospitality are designed to break down the isolation barriers and provide a nurturing space for social engagement.

The cost of living crisis is deepening, and more families and individuals need our help than ever before. Many families struggle to cope with increasing food prices during school holidays. You could help alleviate the burden many families face, ensuring that no child in our community goes hungry, regardless of the season.

Shots of the pop-up café events run by Bournemouth Foodbank. Read about it.

By supporting our work, you’re not only providing immediate relief to families and individuals in need, but you’re also investing in their futures. Every donation helps us maintain our services, expand our outreach, help with running costs of staffing and food distribution costs, and ultimately, fight the food poverty prevalent in our community.

Together, we can ensure that no one in Bournemouth has to face the cost of living crisis alone. Through our collective effort, we can create a community where everyone is nourished, empowered, and cared for.

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To express our gratitude, we’re offering exclusive rewards for your donation:

• Donate £30 or more and earn our exclusive ‘Ending Hunger Together’ tote bag.
• Donate £50 or more and receive both the ‘Ending Hunger Together’ tote bag and a Bournemouth Foodbank travel mug.

To claim your reward, make sure to select it under the ‘Rewards’ tab or from the right-hand side of the page. Act fast – these are available only until stocks last!

This project successfully funded on 26th July 2023