THE TOLL of the cost-of-living crisis in Carlisle was revealed to councillors at a meeting on Thursday.
Carlisle City Council’s People Panel met to discuss food security, rising costs and the increasing number of calls for support.
And members were told that calls for support from those in financial difficult are growing exponentially.
Representatives of the charities and organisations looking to support residents with the crisis attended the meeting.
Jeannie Pasley Healthy City Team Manager, told councillors that Carlisle Foodbank is being called upon for support more than ever.
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She said: “Obviously we’re all aware that pressures on communities across Carlisle have increased and this has caused a knock-on effect for our local foodbank.
“Demands on the foodbank have doubled since January this year.”
Carlisle Foodbank, now based on West Tower Street, receive, repackage and redistribute food to those in the city who are most in-need.
Chair of the foodbank Niall McNulty said the foodbank was initially set up as a temporary fix.
But he said: “We’re at that point where we’re looking at what the self-sustainability of the organisation is because the need is there and it’s a different thinking now at the foodbank.”
Carlisle Foodbank is approaching 2,000 referrals, which could mean around 4,000 people are receiving emergency food parcels by the end of year – the highest number the foodbank has ever dealt with.
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Mr McNulty said: “I think it’s really important to highlight the support and the co-working between the welfare support groups, without that two-way conversation, there is a fear that some people slip through the gaps, there’s also a fear that some people misuse the system and that communication is vital to make sure never of those things happen. It’s increasingly harder as numbers rise so we’re increasingly looking at better ways to communicate.”
Cllr Tim Pickstone raised concerns about volunteers becoming overwhelmed. He said: “I’ve been working a little bit with the pop-up pantry in my ward of Longtown and it may be typical of other ones, it’s only one or two volunteers deciding they don’t want to do it anymore from shutting. How can we help to make sure there’s robustness in the system?”
Portfolio holder for health and wellbeing Elizabeth Mallinson said: “There is a bigger, wider picture here. We’re working in crisis with the foodbank. We need to have some more joined up thinking.
“The main issue here is food security, we can give out crisis management but as we come through the crisis in Ukraine. They’re the grain basket of Europe, the poverty that will come in the third world from not getting the grain, and the effect on Europe will be horrendous and we need to look as a group in Carlisle at what we’re going to do moving forward.”
The panel resolved to launch a task and finish group which will look at food security and the cost-of-living crisis, reporting back to the full council.
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