94 per cent increase in food bank usage for Mid Sussex as the impact of the pandemic hit

Sally Martin, who works at the food bank handing out food packages at their Haywards Heath shop. Pic Steve Robards SUS-141215-142835001

The Covid-19 pandemic left thousands of extra people having to turn to our food banks – and they did not let them down.

Data from one of the country’s main provider of food banks has shown a 94 per cent increase in food bank usage in Mid Sussex, and a 225 per cent increase in Horsham, for 2020 compared with 2019.

As we approach a year of lockdown, we asked the Trussell Trust about how its usage changed during the peak of the lockdown last year.

March 2020 saw the food banks nationally hand out more than 50,000 parcels in one week, almost double its usual volume, and demand in Haywards Heath rose so much last year that the food bank had to find a new, larger premises in Sussex Road.

Trussell Trust food bank data SUS-210802-112305001

In Horsham the number of food banks quadrupled, rising from two to eight.

Trussell Trust food banks in Mid Sussex saw an increase of 1,733 food parcels handed out from mid-year 2019 to mid-year 2020.

It went from 1,843 parcels mid-year 2019 to 3,575 mid-year 2020, an increase of 94 per cent.

In Haywards Heath, the change was even bigger.

Sainsburys Haywards Heath is allowing the food bank a permanent collection box. L-R Victoria Ponsford (donating food), Jenny Jones and Rafe Overy (Sainsbury), Peter Sargent and Sally Martin (Haywards Heath Foodbank) and Joel Watts (Sainsbury). Pic Steve Robards SUS-150303-132910001

The last week of March saw the food bank help 75 families totalling 274 people, a percentage increase of 265 per cent, which is six times the normal level for the food bank. Horsham food banks went from handing out 1,212 food parcels in 2019 to 3,944 mid-year 2020, an increase of 225 per cent.

A spokesman for the Trussell Trust said: “Clearly the economic consequences of the pandemic have been devastating, leaving many unable to afford the basics without further support.”

The Trussell Trust was established in 2004, and runs around 60 per cent of food banks in the UK.

To receive a food parcel, you need to be given a voucher after being referred by an agency like Citizens Advice, which contains information including the number and age of people being supported.

Trussell Trust food bank data SUS-210802-112245001

This data allows the trust to compile the number of people that use the service.

When taking into account the approximate population sizes of the districts we can see the number of food parcels distributed per 1,000 people.

For Mid Sussex, 12.2 food parcels were distributed per 1,000 people in 2019, and 23.7 were distributed per 1,000 people mid-year 2020.

In Horsham, 8.43 were distributed per 1,000 people mid-year 2019, and 27.4 were distributed mid-year 2020.

Jean Forster (2nd left) wants to set up a food bank to help people in need in Haywards Heath. Pictured are Fi McLachlan, Jean Forster, Jill Sargent and Barry Prior ENGSNL00120110926130211

From this we can see that despite Horsham having a larger percentage increase in the number of food parcels distributed, the figures per 1,000 people compared with Mid Sussex are very close.

The Trussell Trust spokesman said the pandemic had led to food banks having to change to cope with the increase in demand but added: “However, while some things have changed generally, the underlying reasons why people need support have not. As before the crisis, the key issue is a fundamental lack of income leaving people destitute and unable to afford the essentials.

“Dramatic increases to the number of people applying for welfare support and shortfalls between people’s living costs and their income have driven levels of need.

“Over the past year, we’ve all made incredible changes to the ways we live, work, and look after each other.