Cornwall sees big rise in food aid providers

The need for food aid in Cornwall has risen in the past seven years

The number of organisations providing food aid in Cornwall has increased from 20 to 180 in seven years.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said there was a big rise in the number of community groups helping people access food alongside foodbanks.

The numbers were released as Cornwall Council assessed the impact of the cost of living crisis in the county.

Since 2015, the number of foodbanks operating in Cornwall has risen from 15 to 28.

Cornwall Council said the need for aid was "clustered around the main towns".

In July 2021, Cornwall Council confirmed there were 180 groups registered on its Help with Food map.

The help ranges from foodbanks to those offering meals to children and young people during the school holidays.

The Trussell Trust, a foodbank charity, said it had seen a 19% increase in food parcel distribution in Cornwall between 2019 and 2021, increasing from 5,051 in 2019 to 5,681 in 2021.