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King's Lynn food bank use up 124% as project manager Helen Gilbert voices worries




Nearly 650 people used Lynn’s food bank during the first half of December - with numbers up 124% compared to 2021.

The team at the St Margaret’s Lane charity has described current uptake as “unprecedented” - with residents needing help with both food and energy bills.

They can be assisted with the latter thanks to £15,000 of funding from West Norfolk Council which is being put towards energy vouchers - with one third of that handed out last week.

Helen Gilbert (centre) has highlighted the number of residents using Lynn's food bank this year
Helen Gilbert (centre) has highlighted the number of residents using Lynn's food bank this year

Helen Gilbert, project manager at the town’s food bank, said numbers are even higher than at the start of Covid lockdowns when people were worried about shortages.

A total of 637 were supported during the first 16 days of this month, while 70 energy vouchers were handed out in that timeframe - compared to 21 for the whole of December last year.

“The numbers last week… we expected December to be high, but they were quite shocking last week,” Mrs Gilbert said.

She has vowed to continue providing support to those in need
She has vowed to continue providing support to those in need

“We gave out £5,000 worth of energy help last week, which is just unprecedented - absolutely unprecedented.

“On Thursday we fed 121 people, which is just unbelievable numbers for Lynn’s food bank. At this time of the year, we’d expect to feed somewhere in the region of 500 people.

“We’re already well over 560 people, and we’ve still got another few days of December left.”

Mrs Gilbert says a number of people have had to “swallow their pride” and visit the food bank for the first time this year as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.

It is also the first time in four years that she and fellow volunteers have had to purchase food - and she expects that trend to continue into the new year.

“We’re expecting that we’ll have to buy some food potentially in January and February, but it depends on how the numbers go - and of course we can’t predict that,” Mrs Gilbert added.

“We’re dealing with the unknown. We know it’s going to be high this winter, but we don’t know how high.”

Lynn’s food bank will be open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week as well as every day for the rest of this week.

Mrs Gilbert has urged anybody who needs help to come along, as well as praising those who continue to donate despite suffering financial strain themselves.

“People are just worried. They’re relieved that they can get some help, they’re relieved that they can get help with their energy costs,” she said.

“That is the biggest fear - particularly last week when it was so cold. People were really really struggling with their energy costs, and if you’re spending a lot on energy then you’ve not got much for anything else.

“Obviously we’d like it if nobody needed to come to a food bank, and we’re going to be here for people. As long as we’ve got enough food and we’ve got energy in our bodies, then we will be here to serve people.”



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