Colchester Food Bank reveals 92-year-old used voucher last week

Nikki Ranson, co-director of Colchester Foodbank, told the Gazette in the last week a 92-year-old has applied for assistance. 

In another instance a couple aged 86 and 84 who have cancer have come into the foodbank after being evicted. 

It comes as charity the Trussell has reported that 9,614 emergency food parcels from 10 food banks in Colchester have been handed out between April and September - with 3,747 of these parcels being for children.

This is less than last year’s 10,885 parcels but 69 per cent higher than five years ago.

Ms Ranson, said by the time the next figures come out in March she expects usage to be on par or higher than last year as in recent weeks referrals are “picking up”.

Nikki said: “I don’t think it is being looked at enough, but we also understand and appreciate that the cost-of-living is what is having an impact on everything and everybody.

“Until the cost of living comes into line, we cannot really fix the problems under the cost of living.

Directors - Armin Lange and Nikki Ranson, co-directors of Colchester Foodbank (Image: Submitted) Ms Ranson said there had “sadly” been a massive increase in children using parcels, doubling from 1,532 in 2019 to 3,747, this year meaning there are a “lot of parents skipping meals so their children can eat”.

She added: “We are seeing a lot of over 65s being evicted from housing or council or even private rented properties – it's across the board as they cannot afford to pay them.

“We had a lady and gentleman, 84 and 86, and they were given a section 21 on a property they lived in for 40 or so years. The husband had cancer so they had the heating on all year to keep him well and then they could not pay rent, so got kicked out.”

“We had a 92-year-old apply for a food voucher this week, why in our society are they coming to a food back?”

Donations - Donations are also down 26 per cent in the past year due to the cost-of-living squeeze on the public (Image: Submitted) Ms Ranson also revealed that food donations are down by 26 per cent in the past year, meaning the food bank is buying additional food.

She said: “If we continue buying the amount of food we are now, we are going to end up in trouble down the line.

“One can does make a difference, they might not think it does, but it makes a huge difference, as if a 100 people did it that’s 100 cans of baked beans."

However, another issue for Colchester Foodbank, currently based in Tollgate Retail Park, is that their lease ends in January 2025.

Nikki said that from then the charity, which is entirely funded by the public, would have three months to find a new space.

Individual and joint business are being asked to either match funds for rents or to give “reduced discounts” for rent in order for the food bank to survive.

Nikki said for Colchester Food Bank “if we don’t have the storage, we cannot supply the food”.

She added: “If you cannot pay your rent, your mortgage, your bills, it is going to have a knock-on effect on food.

“Children will be and are going to bed hungry.”