Kirkcaldy Foodbank: More visits and more families needing to be fed

The charity publishes their usage statistics monthly and September's figures show that, despite a significant reduction in July, visits have once again increased in August to nearly 1300.

Whilst the number of visits are still lower than near 1600 recorded in March of this year, August 2022 saw 14 per cent more visits than the same period last year.

The report also showed that for the first time since September last year, the charity was providing more family parcels than single parcels. A reported 35 per cent of those receiving food were children.

In July, the foodbank reduced the frequency that food parcels were available from one every three days, to one per week. A decision taken due to an increase in demand and food prices, and a reduction in donations causing the foodbank to become financially unsustainable.

Ian Campbell is chair at Kirkcaldy Foodbank, and he says that for organisations like Kirkcaldy foodbank more funding and support is imperative.

He said: “The current demands on the foodbank are not sustainable unless it receives additional support and funding.

“At the moment the foodbank is filling a welfare gap that historically might have fallen to statutory agencies, third sector and local authority - but they equally are under considerable pressure.

“It cannot consistently fall to a local charity to be that place where vulnerable families, children and local people come to be fed. We need to remain until the societal situation changes, but the ask is that more support is provided”.