'Vicious circle' as Caithness food banks call for county to pull together
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By Bryan Dods, Caithness Voluntary Group
Caithness community groups working to alleviate poverty are struggling as a vicious circle of increasing demand and decreasing donations bites.
Caithness Foodbank, which operates facilities in Wick and Thurso, says that referrals to their services have more than doubled in the last financial year as families are hit by increasing energy and shopping prices coupled with reduced incomes.
At the same time donations to the food banks left in local supermarkets by shoppers have been dropping as prices rocket.
Grant Ramsay, chairman of Caithness Foodbank, said: “It’s a vicious circle. More and more families are struggling to cope and turning to us for supplies. Meantime the generosity of our supporters, who purchase food at the local supermarkets for us to collect and distribute, is being tested to the limit as they themselves find it hard to make ends meet.
"With inflation staying high and prices continuing to rise it’s only going to get worse.”
Many organisations are doing their best to keep the population fed. Emergency Living Food (ELF) parcels are distributed throughout the county by the Listening Ear social group.
Davie Snashall, Listening Ear’s group organiser, concurred with Grant’s assessment. “We get parcels of simple nutritious food out to those who need it with as little complication as possible," he said. "So far, thanks to grants and the efforts of our members, we’ve shifted two tons of food at a cost of over £2000, which has been heartily welcomed by those receiving it.
"That’s a week’s food they don’t have to buy so they can use the money to heat their home. But our grant money is fast running out while demand keeps going up.”
Other local bodies, such as Thurso Community Development Trust, are distributing food tokens, efficient electrical items and warm clothing packs purchased using grant aid.
Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG) recently received funding from the Duchess of Westminster’s Trust and the Highland Council for food aid and warm packs.
Allan Tait of CVG said: “We appreciate the money given and we’re doing our utmost, working with partners throughout the county, to get it to where it’s most needed.
"There are elderly people living alone in big old houses they can’t afford to heat, not able to keep themselves warm and fed, and risking hypothermia and other afflictions. This latest cold snap shows that the weather still has a few nasty surprises before we can safely say we’ve hit springtime. We must get help to folk that need it, including those who may be too proud or embarrassed to ask for it.”
Many people are now finding it hard to buy food for their pets. “Like everything else, the cost of pet food has rocketed recently,” said Grant. “Folk who depend on their pets for company will forego feeding themselves so their animals can have a meal. It’s desperately sad that anyone should have to be making choices like that and we want to prevent it happening. But that depends once again on the generosity of shoppers.
"A bag of dog or cat food, left in our trolley, could make a real difference to someone with very few good things going on in their life right now.”
Warm hubs, community cafes, sharing facilities and other initiatives are expanding across the county and there is a drive to get people attending these, to help out or just take advantage of what’s on offer.
The food banks are urging people to give what they can to help other people across Caithness.
“Please keep dropping a few items in our baskets every time you shop,” said Grant. “It’s at times like these, with the county facing real hardship, that we need everyone to dig as deeply as they can.”
Collection baskets or trolleys are placed after the checkouts at larger local supermarkets. Shoppers can buy items and, after paying for them, leave them for collection. Pet foods, toilet roll, jams, crackers, tinned tomatoes, pasta or curry sauces and biscuits of all types are all particularly required at this time.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling to cope in the current financial squeeze, advice or practical help can be accessed through:
- Citizens Advice Scotland – 0800 028 1456
- Caithness Voluntary Group – bryan@cvg.org.uk or 07833 601289
- Thurso Community Development Trust – info@thursocdt.co.uk or 01847 897310
- Dunbeath & District Wellbeing Centre – 01593 731335
There are many other organisations actively working to alleviate poverty in the county. Why not make contact with your local one and offer to help?
