Slough Foodbank manager expecting referral rise

Volunteers at Slough Foodbank say they are expecting referalls to rise due to changing circumstances in the town out of their control, as well as the lasting effects of the pandemic.

But manager Sue Sibany-King said that the charity is in a good place overall in terms of stock, and thanked the ‘generous’ people of Slough for their support in donating items.

“It is really helpful for people to check our website or call us to find out what we actually need at that time,” Sue told the Express.

“Numbers did go down after the initial peak but it has been busy all the way through. We just cope, we are managing. Slough is such a generous place.”

Sue predicted that the foodbank would have to soon deal with an influx of people using its services due to two situations elsewhere in Slough directly affecting her.

With Slough Borough Council (SBC) in financial mire and a ban on non-essential spending in force, this has meant that the authority’s ‘Local Welfare Provision’ benefit cannot be provided to residents.

“This used to help people at a point of need with vouchers to buy food and they also helped towards gas and electricity,” Sue said. “That has been stopped just over a week ago, so that is going to drive a lot more people to us.

“All those people have been calling us and we are picking up the extra.”

The charity’s cause is made even harder by the fact that Shelter – an advice service in Slough – has left its premises in the town, with no word yet on when the Citizens Advice Bureau is going to move in to take its place.

Sue said that this, too, could require more people to make use of the foodbank’s services.

With the school holidays approaching, foodbanks are also having to gear up for more families and schoolchildren in need, as free school meals provided during term time are not carried over into the summer break.

Sue said that historically, the charity has not seen a huge increase in demand during the holidays, but said that she has witnessed a rise in families using its services since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Since COVID we have seen an increase in families coming to us so I expect that we may see a big increase because we are seeing so many already,” Sue said. "We just have to be prepared to cope.”

Slough Foodbank has seen its overall numbers rise since the pandemic took hold, and last month it delivered 545 food parcels to people in need.

“We have been averaging around 600 [parcels] for a long time,” Sue added.

The manager also said that she has not been able to keep track of how many people have been using services due to a lack of work, or furlough, as the pandemic has meant it has had to stop face-to-face interactions with users.

“We are hoping that in the next couple of months we can go back to sitting and having a chat [with people],” Sue said. “It has sadly been a case of getting them in and out as quickly as possible.”

Despite a healthy amount of stock, Sue did point out some items that the foodbank could do with, which often deplete faster than other essentials.

These are: sponge puddings, tinned fruit and vegetables, long-life fruit juice (not squash), long-life milk, deodorant and washing-up liquid.

Sue added that her organisation could also do with a few more drivers for home deliveries, and admin staff.

Slough Borough Council confirmed in a statement to the Express that it is 'no longer providing Local Welfare Provision funding.'

It added: "The funding, which usually took the form of a one-off payment in goods or services, was to help provide essential support in the event of an emergency.

"Withdrawing the funding is not a decision taken lightly, however, the council simply does not have the money to fund it at this time. In the past three months, more than £100,000 has been paid out. 

"Anyone who would normally have applied for Local Welfare Provision, can find support in various ways throughout the community."

Visit slough.foodbank.org.uk or phone 01753 550303 for more information on Slough Foodbank. 

Other debt and advice services can be found below:

National Debt Line

www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

0808 808 4000

Step Change

www.stepchange.org

0800 138 1111

Citizens Advice Bureau

www.citizensadvice.org.uk

0800 144 8848

Money Advice Service

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

0300 500 5000

Mind

www.mind.org.uk

0300 123 3393 or text 86463