Liam's story

"I am writing this because when the Social stop or serspend you money they Don't realise of what they are Doing to families. I never new about the Food Bank it is such a Great thing they do. When I Got mine I was surprized about what I got I could not get half the thing I received when I get my money so thank to you all, you Do a very Good thing you Do. You helped me when I was at rock bottom. Many thanks."

Thank you to Liam for sharing his Foodbank experiences with us.

Karl's story

"Went from having 'everything' to having nothing!! Lived off of the streets for the last 11 weeks and never even knew the food bank was here!! They could not be any more helpful, always with a smile on their faces!! I would never have been able to cope much longer if I hadn't found these guys!! Thanks folks!!"

Thank you to Karl for sharing his experiences of foodbank with us.

A meeting of minds...

This week, our Chair of Trustees, Rev. Christine Jones attended an event where we had the opportunity to reflect on what we need to do to tackle poverty. Below is a summary of that reflection.

"I was drawn to become involved with Foodbank because I have a professional background in food education and care about the life-giving, community-building capacity associated with the growing, cooking and preparing of fresh foods. But over the last three years I have spent with Foodbank, through my conversations with those involved, I have become increasingly concerned about issues relating to the crisis model we operate:

- the stigma associated with a red voucher

- requiring that people in crisis situations go from ‘pillar to post’ to receive food

- the vulnerability of volunteers listening to stories of hardship

- the lack of alternative options for people with complex and enduring needs

- the loss, across our society, of the skills and understanding needed to create a meal from the foods in the crisis bag, as well as the need for cooking equipment

- and the way that charitable models often keep people in crisis in a subservient role.

Over 3 years, West Cheshire Foodbank has provided enough food for 14,000 people to eat properly for three days. But for me, there is an enduring sense of a waste of human life that so many people have little option but to rely on charity to meet their needs. It is these concerns that shape my reflection regarding ‘ What we need to do to tackle poverty’.

I believe the starting place is important. There is a real need to listen to people living in poverty as a priority. ‘Anything about us, without us is not for us’  is the strap line for a model of listening which has been pioneered by the ‘Poverty Truth Commission’ in Glasgow. The approach of the PTC is to share stories in ways which build trust and embrace people struggling in poverty working alongside key decision-makers. This is the starting place for shaping response to actual need. In seeking to tackle poverty, I would endeavor to establish inclusive, trusting relationships where people and organisations are encouraged to work collaboratively in their local communities. Many urban high streets have lived with decline in recent years. Central to those communities are empty shops which stand as places where new life could be generated through the sharing of common tasks. I believe it is essential to take grass-roots approaches to community building which embrace a wider participation. In really listening to the experts who live with poverty, resource could then be re-directed and support provided within communities where neighbours will work together.

West Cheshire Foodbank is endeavoring to involve people struggling with poverty with every aspect of the operation and to learn from this expertise. In seeking an exit strategy, WCFB will be working with Edge Hill University to build the capacity of volunteers and explore whether new sustainable initiatives can be established around cooking, growing and be-friending. We also hope to explore the value of replacing the warehouse and associated costs through establishing local community shops. At a local government level, we will also continue to support Cheshire West and Chester Council who have agreed to establish a Poverty Truth Commission in West Cheshire. In and throughout any development, and working collaboratively with partner organisations, our firm commitment is to develop relationships which genuinely empower people living in poverty."

A "Meeting of Minds" was coordinated by the Institution for Public Policy and Professional Practice at Edge Hill University, The Centre for Local Economic Strategy and the Webb Memorial Trust. If you have any comments specifically relating to what we have shared above please email Alec Spencer: devofficer@westcheshire.foodbank.org.uk. For general inquiries please email info@westcheshire.foodbank.org.uk or call 0151 355 7730.

Foodbank Celebrates Living Wage Commitment

The Living Wage Foundation is pleased to announce that West Cheshire Foodbank, has this month, September 2015, been accredited as a Living Wage employer.

West Cheshire Foodbank has always met the criteria set by the Living Wage Foundation, which means that staff at the charity, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers; receive a minimum hourly wage of £7.85 or above - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.50.

Rev. Christine Jones, Chair of Trustees at West Cheshire Foodbank, a local charity that employs three part-time staff, said: “We’re delighted that we’re now an accredited UK Living Wage Employer. We know from our own experience and research that local families can go hungry when their incomes are low and insecure. We have always paid a living wage, but this independent, third-party accreditation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to look after our employees in the same way that we hope neighbouring churches, charities and businesses will, to ensure that no-one needs a foodbank because work doesn’t pay.”

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.

Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said: “We are delighted to welcome West Cheshire Foodbank to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.

The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

We have accredited over 1,700 leading employers, including West Cheshire Foodbank, ranging from independent printers, hairdressers and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that. "