Record number of food parcels handed out in Mansfield this summer

The Trussell Trust, which helps run more than 1,500 food banks across the UK, has described the soaring need for essentials as ‘extremely alarming’.

Figures from the charity show 3,034 emergency food parcels were handed out between April and September across two food banks in Mansfield.

This is a rise from 2,415 during the same period a year before – and the highest figure since local figures were first made available in 2018.

Across the UK, a record of nearly 1.5 million parcels were distributed – 200,000 more than in the summer of 2022.

These figures cover parcels handed out by the charity itself, but do not include emergency food supplies provided by other organisations.

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: "An increasing number of children are growing up in families facing hunger, forced to turn to food banks to survive."

"A generation is growing up believing that it’s normal to see a food bank in every community – this is not right.

The trust's figures show 1,021 of this summer's food parcels in Mansfield were for children.

Ms Revie continued: "Rising hunger and hardship have devastating consequences for individuals and our communities, damage the nation’s health and hold back our economy.

"People in work, as well as people who cannot work, are increasingly being pushed into debt and forced to turn to a food bank to survive."

The organisation has now called for an ‘essentials guarantee’ – meaning universal credit should protect people from going without the basics – and for benefits to rise in line with inflation in this year's Autumn Statement.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: "There are 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty than in 2010, but we know some families are struggling, which is why we are providing a record support package worth £3,300 per household.

"This includes the latest cost of living payments paid directly to more than eight million households this year, our decision to raise benefits by over 10 per cent earlier this year and our £2 billion Household Support Fund which is helping people to buy essentials."