Cost of living: Cramlington Foodbank runs low on donations but insists help is there if you need it

Cramlington Foodbank, which is part of the Trussell Trust, has said it is here to help, despite seeing donations fall.

It is looking to expand the ways it can help people in need, even though supplies are dwindling and demand is rising quickly.

70-year-old volunteer Joyce Docherty manages the food bank. She said: “It makes you realise that people, up until now, have really been struggling, determined to survive, but have got to the point where they just cannot do it on their own.

“You want this stigma that some people have about attending food banks to be taken away because we are all here to help get them over the hurdle.

“Anyone who is in the position where they are wondering what they are going to do next: do not be afraid to ask for help.”

There are over 40 places where you can get a referral to the food bank if you need it, including Citizens Advice, care professionals, and more.

Cramlington Foodbank can provide toiletries, school uniforms, and nursery equipment in addition to food supplies, and are searching for grant funding and a hygiene certification to begin providing hot meals.

They take donations of Christmas gifts for those who cannot afford them, and are attempting to provide Christmas dinner hampers this holiday season.

This is despite the past six weeks being much busier as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Joyce said: “People have been coming who normally would have managed, but they have maybe lost their homes as well as their businesses, and they are really at rock bottom.

“We are seeing a lot more families that we would not have seen in the past, and that has obviously been as a result of what has been happening.

“We have been going through food at a quicker rate, which has meant that we run out of things very quickly.”

The food bank must now top up donations from supermarkets and individuals by online grocery shopping, spending cash reserves.

As it spends more on supplies and utilities, donations are going down, as people cannot afford to contribute as much as before.

The News Post Leader is promoting the Food Bank Friends campaign in aid of The Trussell Trust. You can donate here or supply food at drop-off points in Asda, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and the Hope Centre in Cramlington, One Stop in Burradon, and elsewhere.