I dropped in recently at Belper food bank, which does great work providing a hot meal and a warm space for people who need it. The staff were open and supportive, and Citizens Advice were also on hand to provide assistance.
While their work is amazing, it is sad that this service is needed at all. When I was younger, we didn’t have food banks. Since 2010, the numbers have massively increased.
This is an appalling legacy of the previous government, and we need to reverse this trend by removing the need for them. In the meantime, I’m grateful to the workers and volunteers across Mid Derbyshire and further afield who organise food banks week after week – and to all the people who donate to them.