In 2013-14 foodbanks fed 913,138 people in the UK. Of those helped, 330,205 were children. This is a heartbreaking statistic for any country, but in a country as rich as ours there must be solutions outside of charitable giving. UK charities, the Trussel Trust  in particular, bridge the gap and provide a fantastic service to vulnerable people, but they can only manage the consequences, it is the new Government that can look at the problem with fresh eyes, thinking and resources.

Food Banks, or something like it, may have a place in society because even in a country as wealthy as the UK, some people through redundancy, benefit delay, domestic violence, low income, rising costs or debt may struggle to feed themselves and their families. It is an humanitarian short-term fix that many of us can afford to support, but it will be a failure of the next term of Government - maybe a shared national failure -   if the Food Bank figures continue to rise each year without affirmative action from the people in power that can make a difference. 

Please take action.