‘Wages haven’t kept pace with living costs’: Hackney Foodbank launches Friday night centre to reach working people

Hackney Foodbank chief executive Pat Fitzsimons. Photograph: Julia Gregory

Hackney Foodbank has launched a Friday night distribution centre for the increasing number of working people in need of its help.

The charity has seen a huge change in the demographic of its users – with more than half the visitors this year coming for the first time.

It hopes that opening up on Friday evenings will enable it to reach people who cannot pick up food parcels during work hours.

Chief executive Pat Fitzsimons said: “Increasingly, working people are coming to the food bank. It’s a sad fact in London that for many families, wages haven’t kept pace with the huge cost-of-living rises.

“When even working people can’t afford to heat their homes or buy food, you know the system is very broken.

“People are working long hours, sometimes two jobs, and still don’t have enough for the basics.

“We’re hearing from schools where children are coming in hungry – many don’t qualify for free school meals because their parents earn over the threshold but that threshold simply isn’t high enough.

“People in Hackney, including children, are malnourished and beyond the health implications, that brings long-lasting inequality. Hunger impacts a child’s ability to concentrate and learn.

“Any increases to benefits won’t kick in until April 2023 – that’s not enough for families on the breadline now.”

The new food distribution centre is open weekly from 6-8pm at the Pembury Estate Community Centre. The team has chosen this location for its good transport links – enabling residents to reach them easily after work.

In June, a Saturday centre was launched to support people unable to come on weekdays, and it is now one of the charity’s biggest hubs.

Residents must be referred to receive an emergency food bank parcel and a huge range of partners can do this, from councils and some mental health charities to the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Hackney Foodbank is also pioneering Phone2Food – transferring digital credit to some food bank visitors to enable them to choose and buy their own food.

The charity urgently needs more donations of food and money.

To find out more and support Hackney Foodbank, visit hackney.foodbank.org.uk.

You can also donate money using the QR code on the Citizen‘s website – found in the sidebar on the right.