Surely 'food-bank' growth can't be the only offer from this tainted Government, asks Councillor Margaret Richardson?

 

Councillor Margaret  Richardson is a County Councillor for Cowpen Ward in Blyth which is home to the most households with the lowest average incomes in Northumberland.

 She recently expressed concern at the Government's attitude towards food-banks, their volunteers as well as its use of the media in decrying working lower paid families, the unemployed and state pensioners branding them as second class on a regular and ongoing basis.

 Councillor Richardson told us here at Northumberland News that "I need to tell the public how difficult it is to get a referral to a food bank, explain how stressful it is for the voluntary sector and try to clear the decks on how food banks aren't in any way opposition to the retail sector as the Tories would have us believe".

 It's not a complex story but 12 years of Government Austerity and a futile Brexit deal has allowed the Tories to fail all levels of society on food and the rapid decline of wages through inflationary pressure ensuring shareholders gain at the expense of workers and pensioners is pressuring us all.

 Care professionals, such as social workers, school staff, district nurses and health visitors, identify those in need of help and give them a referral for a food voucher for their local food bank. This voucher provides a food parcel of three days’ worth of non-perishable food from the bank.

 It's difficult to get referrals but if you're in an emergency situation you  can get up to three vouchers (only one at a time) for any one crisis, giving you a total of 9 days worth of food.

These vouchers are individually exchanged for three days’ worth of emergency food at your local food bank. The best way to get that help is to phone citizens' advice.

 Councillor Richardson also said "I have friends in the voluntary sector who help at our local food banks.

They pull out all the stops daily to cover the growing needs of people through the Governments mismanagement of the economy and the segregation of the poor from society, the growth of people in need is tiring those dedicated folk and I
hope the Tories in Parliament see the need for an emergency budget to reduce the pressure on working people and help both working families and dedicated volunteers."