SWINDON Foodbank said the record numbers of people seeking relief from food poverty is as much to do with greater awareness as the number of people going hungry.

In a report released this week(apr22), the Trussell Trust – which operates 445 foodbanks across the country – reported a 19 per cent rise in the number of people seeking food packages compared to the previous year.

The Salisbury-based charity said that three days’ food was handed out 1,084,604 times during the 2014/2015 financial year.

But Andrew Hill, project manager of the Swindon Foodbank, which is run by Swindon Christian Community Projects, said while he did not dispute the figures, the increase in numbers could be explained by the greater number of centres and more widespread awareness of their existence.

He said: “The Trussell Trust operates many foodbanks across the country.

"Some exist where there weren’t any before and some are more mature than others.

“It means that there are more people seeking support from foodbanks across the whole country because there are more available to them.

“We’re in a slightly different situation because this year we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary, meaning we are quite a mature foodbank.

“And this year we will celebrate that anniversary – not because we’re celebrating the the number of people seeking help for food poverty, but for the place in the community we have developed and the generosity and support we’ve received over the years.

“Because we have been around for that length of time people are aware that we exist and can seek help from us.”

In Swindon, Andrew said the numbers of people seeking their support were in line with previous years and had even seen a slight dip, with more people making use of the Swindon Emergency Assistance Fund (SEAF).

The SEAF, which is run by Swindon Borough Council, came into being in 2013 after the Government scrapped crisis loans.

The Government then gave unitary authorities a discretionary fund with the hopes they would choose to set up localised pools of money to support people in need through help with topping up utilities bills, and food vouchers.

Earlier this year there were concern that this money would be scrapped, but on February 3 the Government announced it was re-introducing a welfare grant, with Swindon receiving £180,000.

“It’s Swindon’s best kept secret, because people aren’t really aware that it exists,” said Andrew.

“They are in fact our greatest number of voucher holders, and When people call us for help we always ask if they have contacted SEAF in the first instance," said Andrew.

“That’s because They not only give vouchers which we can honour but they can also help with topping up gas and electricity bills and other things.

“If people don’t make use of SEAF their budget might be cut to zero and this will put more pressure on the foodbank, which is a charity.”

The Trussell Trust said the latest figures highlighted worrying numbers of people and families suffering from food poverty, and said the main causes were related to insecure work and wage packets, low pay and high living costs.

Trussell Trust UK food bank director Adrian Curtis said: “The Trussell Trust’s latest figures highlight how vital it is that we all work to prevent and relieve hunger in the UK,” he said.

“It’s crucial that we listen to the experiences of people using food banks to truly understand the nature of the problems they face.”