Regulars come to Tottenham Food Hub for many reasons. Among them are a couple who tragically lost their daughter recently and now care for their young grandchildren.
Another drops in, as many do, after visiting the Jobcentre opposite where staff often make referrals. A third has a prepayment meter for his electricity and is struggling with the cost, forcing him to skip meals for days at a time.
Food bank user, Janet, said she had noticed her electric bills soaring too, mostly driven by the need to keep her mobility scooter and stair-lift running.
Food hub manager Susan Jarrett said: “We are now regularly seeing people make that sacrifice not to eat and having to choose between heating and eating.”
Demand for their services has been rising exponentially, she added. From a base of approximately 30 people, the hub now sees up to 60 people a week.
It takes place every Tuesday at the Trampery co-working space in Tottenham and is run by the Gospel Temple Apostolic Church.
It is one of the organisations that will be eligible to benefit from our On the Breadline Christmas appeal in partnership with Comic Relief, which will fund groups helping disadvantaged people across the UK, including London.
Every Monday night, volunteers gather to pack tinned goods into bags, adding fresh fruit, meat, milk and fish before the hub opens on Tuesday.
Sometimes toiletries are included, or “choice foods” – items that service users say they would like but might be unable to afford, such as sugar and coffee.
Susan, who manages the hub alongside her day job for Peabody, said: “On the whole, users either have benefit problems or struggle with costs. It’s on their minds all the time, worrying, ‘can I put food on the table tonight?’”
Long-standing volunteer, Frances Cateaux, added that it is not just those out of work turning to food banks.
“We get nurses and others who are earning a living but still need us,” she said. “It’s got worse in the last few months. The service is a lifeline for many. If it were to close, I don’t know where people would go.”
One service user, Mouna Khadri, volunteers in the gaps between her studies to be a hairdresser. Her daughter was one-year-old when the family first came to the hub. Now she is three and runs around happily as Mouna gives out food bags.
“They helped me a lot,” she said. “It’s like family here.”
The project, which has been running since 2016, relies on food donations from supermarkets, the church, and The Felix Project, the biggest fresh surplus food re-distributor in London.
It also applies for grants for its running costs, including a van to pick up and deliver groceries. And while it has the advantage of a main space free-of-charge, a storage space used to pack the bags could be lost without additional funding.
“We’re going to need more by March, without that it will be very difficult,” said Susan. “We’ve depleted most of our grant funding from last year. We hope people will give generously to your appeal so we can continue to run a full operation.”
Our Christmas appeal in a nutshell
What is happening?
We have partnered with Comic Relief to launch On the Breadline, our cost of living Christmas appeal.
Where will the money go?
To organisations in London and across the UK working to help people on the breadline cope with the cost of living crisis.
How can you help?
To help children and communities most impacted by the cost of living crisis, donate here.
