Coronavirus: Sheffield council spends £12k a week on food help

Rosie from S2 foodbanks said it was not just about providing food to people

Increased demand for foodbanks and emergency parcels has led to Sheffield City Council spending about £12,000 a week on them during the coronavirus pandemic.

The council revealed the figure in a meeting after running a coronavirus helpline for more than six weeks.

It said one in six calls to the helpline that resulted in referrals were people requesting food parcels.

Foodbanks have also spoken about how more people are using their services.

The S2 Foodbank said it handed out seven tonnes of food to 1,021 people in January, February and March combined but had helped 1,970 people with 15 tonnes of food in April alone.

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Sue Rose, known as Rosie at S2, said the foodbank had then handled 33 tonnes of food in May.

"It's been hard trying to get food," she said.

"It's not just about feeding food it's about debt and tackling that and mental heath problems have been massive.

"It's quite hard to come through our door but it is the first step on the ladder."

Foodbanks use food donated by individuals, shops and Sheffield City Council

Spires Foodbank said in May there had been a 1,000% rise in the number of people using their service since lockdown began.

The council said £4,000 a week was spent on emergency parcels to those self isolating or unable to get food and £8,000 a week on supporting foodbanks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "We're going to have some very difficult times ahead and we're going to have to pull together as a society and a city."

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