Today I was at Sainsbury’s Northfield for the announcement that the Life Line Food Bank is the store’s Charity of the Year. The food bank will receive a year’s worth of fundraising and awareness support from the retailer. Joined by the founder of the food bank Pastor Stephen Merrick, local Labour councillors and Sainsbury’s staff, we kicked off fundraising with a food donation drive in the store today.
I’m pleased that it was local customers who made this decision – voting overwhelmingly for the food banks both in-store and online in May.
The Northfield store has had great success in supporting previous local charities – raising more than £5 million to support local communities in the last four years through it’s charity partners scheme. This year the money will go to the Life Line Food Bank which, based in Hollymoor Community Church, provides emergency food assistance for those facing financial hardship.
Today’s news is welcome as demand for Northfield’s food bank continues to rise. Recent estimates show that although the UK is the seventh richest country in the world, half a million people were reliant on food banks last year. With huge changes to benefits one of the leading reasons for this need, I have called on Parliament’s Work and Pensions Committee to hold an urgent inquiry into the link between the Government’s welfare policy and the rise in food banks.
I’m pleased Sainsbury’s is taking local action to tackle this national scandal. The money and food raised will be a life line for many.
