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Foodbank staff and volunteers have handled the busiest year yet in the Trussell Trust’s network across the UK.

A record 1.6million food parcels were given out at the charity’s centres from April 2018 to March 2019, meaning the numbers have soared 73 per cent in five years.

New data released on Thursday shows it was the busiest year for the network since the charity was founded by Carol and Paddy Henderson in 1997.

Nationally, the network has seen an 18.8 per cent increase on the previous year but in West Sussex, the figure is much higher, with a 29 per cent increase recorded.

Worthing Foodbank

Worthing Foodbank provided 1,958 three-day emergency food parcels between April 2018 in March 2019. Of this number, 607 went to children.

The figure shows a 23 per cent increase compared to the same period last year and Worthing Foodbank is backing the call to ensure the benefits system is able to protect people from poverty.

Julie Denyer, Worthing Foodbank manager, said: “No one in the Worthing area should need a foodbank’s help and we want to see an end to local people needing emergency food at all.

Worthing Foodbank volunteers, from left, Ann Healey, Sylvie Tye and Concheta Canute. Photo by Derek Martin DM1942538a

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