Stark new figures show scale of need in Leeds for emergency food during first two months of Covid-19 pandemic

Leeds Food Aid Network has crunched the numbers to see how many people accessed emergency hand-outs between March 16 - when Prime Minister Boris Johnson began to impose restrictions on the country - and May 17.

The data shows the number of referrals or phone calls requesting food packages during those two months was 23,420 - three times the 6,880 two-month average from the previous year.

And the number of 'informal' food parcels handed out on a drop-in basis rose to 23,075 - nine times higher than the 2,660 two-month average from the year before.

Dave Paterson, of Unity in Poverty Action and Leeds Food Aid Network (FAN), said it was thanks to Leeds’ “well-established network” that the city was able to respond quickly to meet the rising need as the crisis deepened.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “There was a lot of concern at the start that people who needed food at the most would not get access.

“Although we can’t guarantee that absolutely everyone got food absolutely all the time, I think the figures show that there has been a very positive co-ordinated response to support some of the city’s poorest people at a time of great need.”

He said, on March 18, just two days after the Prime Minister imposed the first restrictions closing bars and restaurants, food aid providers and volunteer groups met online to plan their response.

The following day, a food parcel delivery system was set up by Leeds businessmen Kane Crosfell and Joseph Battle under the charity We Care Leeds, run in partnership with Food Aid Network.

A week later, Leeds City Council boosted its coronavirus welfare support scheme, supported by Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL).

Two emergency phone lines were launched and a large food warehouse was also set up, run by FareShare Yorkshire and Pudsey-based Rethink Food, from where food was taken directly to people’s houses or handed to 27 third-sector ‘community care hubs’ such as St Lawrence’s Church in Pudsey.

The city’s major foodbanks, Leeds South and East and Leeds North and West, also moved to a delivery system as well as vital work by other foodbanks in areas such as Holbeck, Otley and Wetherby.

Thousands of volunteers from across Leeds also signed up to help staff the hubs and deliver food as part of a major collaboration alongside charities, organisations and the faith sector to quickly answer the calls for help from those in need.

Dave said: “Because Leeds had a well-established network of people tackling food poverty, with the council involvement alongside food banks and food aid provision, we were able to have a very quick response to the pandemic when it hit in March. So when people were experiencing a mix of both low income and having to self-isolate, there was always enough provision to support them with food.”

Worryingly, the Leeds Food Aid Network's latest figures also show that the scale of food insecurity across the city was already rising before the pandemic struck.

The data shows a 19 per cent rise in referrals in the 12 months up to March 2020, with 41,282 compared to 33,645 the previous year.

Dave said those figures were “really concerning” and cited factors such as insecure work, struggling to manage on Universal Credit with its delays and deductions for debts as having a major impact on households.

Commenting on the year ahead, he said: “I think the amount of need will increase gradually with unemployment increasing and as the economy struggles and the furlough scheme comes to an end.

“The big safety net that the Government helped to create, and we have helped to create - it’s up to us to make sure that that safety net stays robust.

“There have been lots of resources channeled through, including from central Government, but in the longer term that becomes harder to maintain.

“There are going to be some real challenges.”

Coun Debra Coupar, executive member for communities, said: “As a city, we have worked for many years to address food insecurity, with Leeds City Council supporting and collaborating the third, community and faith sector.

“Food poverty and insecurity is an issue which continues to blight our society and the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the issues some residents in our city have in being able to afford enough food to feed themselves and their families.

“The strength of this partnership has enabled the city to respond quickly and at scale during the Covid-19 pandemic to be able to provide emergency food to thousands of households most in need.”

*How to get involved:

One particular need in the city is volunteer drivers to transport food to people's homes.

Anyone interested in volunteering can email [email protected] or [email protected]For more information, including how to donate food or money, visit the food banks' websites at https://leedssouthandeast.foodbank.org.uk or https://leedsnorthandwest.foodbank.org.uk

A message from the Editor: Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins