Plymouth food bank donations squeezed by cost of living

The Stonehouse food bank is having to spend up to £2,000 a week to make up for the shortfall in donations

Food banks are being hit by big drops in food donations amid a squeeze on household incomes, say organisers.

A Plymouth food bank said donations so far this year were nine tonnes down on the same period in 2021.

"Donations have fallen off a cliff," said Maria Mills, project manager for Stonehouse in Plymouth.

Ms Mills said the trust was having to spend up to £2,000 a week on groceries to make up for the shortfall in donations.

A Tiverton food bank has seen a surge in demand

The cost-of-living crisis had affected those people who normally donate, said food bank organisers.

"We feel like we are in a perfect storm," said Ms Mills.

"From January this year to 10 June we received nine tonnes less than last year and at the same time there was a 76% increase in demand for our services."

Alison Padfield, chief executive of charity Churches Housing Action Team (Chat), which runs a food bank in Tiverton, Devon, said the "picture is very much the same".

She said: "We are are now helping as many people in a week as we did in a month pre-pandemic.

"We have 130 households every month and we are struggling to put those packets together."