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The trust supports the UK's network of more than 1,300 food banks. Of the 2.1 million emergency food parcels handed out over the past year, 832,000 have been for children. The high demand is putting food banks under increasing pressure, as the cost-of-living crisis worsens.
Now businesses are being urged to support food banks in any way they can - in the hope of avoiding a nightmare scenario where they start running out of food.
Why are food banks under pressure?
Grace Wyld, a Trussell Trust policy research team member, says the cost-of-living crisis is biting hard. The UK economy is still trying to recover following two years of the coronavirus pandemic.
The situation worsened following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the consequent impact on the global economy. Then, the energy price cap rose by £700 in April, leaving many UK householders unable to afford to pay their bills.
As inflation rises to a 40-year high of 9%, petrol and diesel costs rocket and the price of an average food shop spirals; 25% of Brits have skipped meals because they can't afford to eat. Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England Governor, has described it as an "apocalyptic" outlook for consumers.
What help has the government provided?
The government recently announced a series of measures to help people - after removing the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift in September 2021, after it was introduced during the pandemic: this includes a £150 Council Tax rebate, a £650 crisis payment for people in receipt of certain benefits and £400 off energy bills in the autumn.
Politicians are also advising people to cut back on luxury buys and get cheaper food by shopping around for bargains, such as buying supermarket own brands.
However, Wyld is sceptical about whether this will help at all. She points out people are already doing this, yet they are still struggling to afford even the essentials. "There's simply nothing left to cut," she said in her online blog, describing food banks across the UK as "picking up the pieces".
According to the Office for National Statistics, the average UK household spends £78 on the weekly food shop, based on the needs of a family of three. However, the people being referred to food banks have only £57 per week to live on, after paying their housing costs, leaving insufficient money for food and other bills.
She says charities are doing all they can to help but fears they simply can't continue to "pick up the pieces" at the current rate.
How serious is the crisis for food banks?
Food banks rely heavily on volunteers and donations. Currently, more than 90% of the food distributed by the Trussell Trust's food banks is donated by the public.
Everyone referred to the food bank is given a three-day supply of nutritious, healthy food, enabling them to eat a balanced diet. However, there are fears food banks will run out of food because members of the public can no longer afford to donate.
It was reported that a food bank in Yorkshire had literally run out of food on 7th June because of a drop in donations. Volunteers at the centre said the donors had fallen on hard times themselves. Reporters at Sky News interviewed local people, who admitted they couldn't afford to donate anymore.
Following an urgent appeal, the community managed to rally around and get the food bank back up and running, at least for the time being. However, volunteers are facing each day with no idea how long they will be able to keep going with the current high demand.
How can businesses support their local food banks?
During the current crisis, charities are urging everyone to support each other in any way possible to help people weather the storm. Businesses can help support their local food banks and the wider community in numerous ways.
Some large brands such as Asda, Waitrose, Whistles, Morrisons, Deliveroo, British Gas and many more, have partnered with a local food bank. Morrisons, for example, has introduced an option for customers to donate at the online checkout and also organises dedicated food drives. The supermarket has permanent collection points in its stores to collect food donations from customers.
British Gas employees are providing transport and delivery services for donated food from supermarkets to food banks. They are also helping with deliveries of food parcels to people’s homes.
Asda entered a partnership (Fight Hunger Create Change) with The Trussell Trust and FareShare in 2018. The supermarket has food collection points in its stores and the programme has helped expand its services to aid more crisis-hit people.
It has launched More Than Food projects, including Eat Well Spend Less courses and holiday clubs. In liaison with FareShare, Asda has created a delivery programme to take fresh food to food banks.
Payroll giving
Businesses can also help by organising fundraising for food banks. Employees can take part in sponsored events and donate the proceeds to the Trussell Trust, or businesses such as supermarkets and other retail stores can permit charity collections in their premises.
Payroll giving is a modern way of helping food banks, enabling businesses to use a tax-effective way to donate through PAYE. The simple, flexible scheme is also known as Give As You Earn. It enables anyone who is taxed through PAYE to donate to food banks.
For every £1 that you earn, for people who pay the basic tax rate, 20p is paid in tax. If you pledge to donate £10 a month, the Trussell Trust receives the full amount, but only £8 is deducted from the employee's net pay.
Organising food collections at work
No matter what your business, you can organise a food collection station at your premises where employees and customers can contribute. The best types of food to donate are non-perishable tinned items such as tomatoes, soup, meat, vegetables, beans and fruit. Other useful items include cereal, rice, pasta and pasta sauce, lentils, pulses, coffee, tea, UHT milk, biscuits and fruit juice.
The food banks also try to provide essential non-food items when possible, such as toilet paper, deodorant, shower gel, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand wipes, laundry detergent, washing up liquid, feminine personal sanitary products, nappies, baby wipes and baby food.
If your business is organising a collection for food banks, store the donated items in sturdy stackable containers and make sure they are suitably packaged for transportation, so everything arrives in one piece.