Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon, Hywel Williams, joined forces with charitable organisations & students from Coleg Menai in Bangor’s Tesco Extra store as part of an initiative to collect 5 million meals for those in need.
Hywel Williams MP warned that many families will face hardship this Christmas as a result of the Government’s failure to tackle the cost of living crisis & punishing welfare policies.
Launched in 2012, over 27.5 million meals-including a 30% top-up from Tesco have been donated to people in need through Tesco’s Neighbourhood Food Collection campaign.
Hywel Williams MP said: “It was great to see so many people joining in & contributing food to the collection. It’s thanks to the generosity of public giving & the time & effort of volunteers that those in need of help are able to keep themselves & their families fed this winter.
“I pay tribute to the work carried out by the Trussell Trust who operate the Caernarfon foodbank, along with Fare Share & Tesco Bangor for making this event possible. I’d also like to pay tribute to the many young people from Coleg Menai who helped out on the day-it’s heartening to see young people take an interest in such a worthy cause.
“Vulnerable people such as those on low incomes, disabled people and their carers are being forced to cut back on food and turn to food banks and charities for help because of this Government’s toxic welfare policies. It’s forcing them to choose between eating or heating this winter.
“Initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Food Collection are the result of generous people helping the most vulnerable in society when the Government has failed them.
“Is this what the Prime Minister means when he says we’re all in this together? If the Government continue with their attacks on the vulnerable, more and more people will become reliant on charities for help.”
David McAuley, CEO of The Trussell Trust said: “The Trussell Trust has seen huge rises in referrals to foodbanks in recent years, and it’s surprising how fast a crisis can strike. We’ve seen professionals like nurses and teachers referred to foodbanks -people who you might not expect to need help. Many households are managing their finances perfectly well on a day-to-day basis, but as soon as an unexpected bill or cost comes in, such as a broken boiler or funeral costs, the impact on finances can be devastating.”
