The UK’s leading food bank charity has launched an emergency appeal for the first time in its history to meet a “devastating rise in need”.
With the rising cost of living crisis sadly continuing to make its impact felt nationwide, and inflation currently at a 40-year UK high, The Trussell Trust is warning of its “hardest winter yet” as it says its food banks up and down the country are “struggling to meet a tsunami of demand” – which was now outstripping donations.
The charity says it has already used up the “reserve stock” that would normally help maintain supplies across the winter months at its 1,300 food bank centres.
Food banks are having to purchase three times as much food as they did last year, according to the charity, and on top of that, the trust has distributed 46% more emergency food parcels in August and September than at the same time in 2021.
📣 Despite the #CostOfLiving support package provided by the government, 40% of people on Universal Credit had to skip meals to survive this summer.
This isn't right.
As winter approaches, we’re concerned that this is only going to get worse ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/kd5tw2VugR
The Trussell Trust is now calling on the government to “do what’s right” by providing a package of support that’s “directly targeted at people on the lowest incomes”.
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Launching the emergency appeal and urging the government to lend a hand, Emma Revie – CEO of The Trussell Trust – said: “We never wanted to run an appeal like this, we would rather there was no need for food banks at all, but right now, they are on the frontline of this cost of living emergency and we have no other option.
“Faced with the perfect storm of rising energy prices, inflation and a potential recession that is pushing people deeper into poverty, the soaring cost of living is driving a tsunami of need to food banks.
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“Through this emergency appeal, we hope to raise the vital funds required to ensure that food banks can meet this devastating rise in need”.
The Trussell Trust has launched an emergency appeal to meet a “devastating rise in need” / Credit: The Trussell Trust
Ms Revie says the trust’s main aim is to “continue to support people experiencing hardship.”
The Trussell Trust’s first-ever emergency appeal comes after recent research by consumer group Which? has revealed that millions of families are having to change their shopping and eating habits as they struggle with rising costs.
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Among those struggling the most, 50% even admitted their household was skipping meals.
Featured Image – The Trussell Trust
News
Police appeal launched as man, 51, dies MONTHS after M60 crash
Daisy Jackson
A man in his 50s has tragically died several months after a collision on the M60, with a renewed police appeal launched this week.
At the time of the crash in July, none of the injuries sustained were believed to be life-changing or threatening.
But sadly, a 51-year-old man who was the driver of one of the vehicles involved has passed away recently.
Officers from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are now appealing for information about the M60 crash.
The road traffic collision took place at 9.13pm on Wednesday 1 July, between two vehicles between junction 16 and 17 of the M60, in Bury.
Emergency services at the time reported that none of the injuries were life-changing or life-threatening.
All the vehicle occupants have been identified, and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances into the man’s death.
Police have said that his death cannot be definitively linked to the collision at this stage and work is ongoing to determine the exact cause and nature.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision is urged to contact police via 101 or gmp.police.uk, quoting log 3829 of 1 July 2026. Reports can also be made via the Live Chat function at gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
No trams to run on THREE major Greater Manchester lines for two weeks this month
Emily Sergeant
Widespread disruption is expected, as no trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines for two full weeks.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way later this month, it has been announced that essential improvement work is set to be be carried out on three major Metrolink lines across the region in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
From Monday 19 October to Sunday 1 November, tram improvement works will take place at Deansgate-Castlefield, and Trafford Bar.
Additional works will also take place in the city centre during this time, allowing Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to keep closures of the tram network to a minimum.
During the dates above, no trams will run on the Altrincham, Trafford Centre, and Eccles lines.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester line for two weeks this month / Credit: TfGM
A number of shuttle bus services will the running over the course of the two-week closure – with services arriving every 10 or 15 minutes, depending which line it’s on, and you can find a full list of these here.
Services operating on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, and from Firswood, passengers will then need to board a replacement bus service to continue their journey into the city centre.
Services operating on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square, it has also been announced.
Services will resume on these lines from start of service on Monday 2 November.
However there will be some minor route changes through the city centre in place from Monday 2 to Wednesday 4 November, so it’s important to check your journey before you travel.
Emily Sergeant -
20th October 2022 
