Help charities in demand as cost of living increases

WELFARE support charities in Henley are reporting a rise in the number of people asking for help as the cost-of-living crisis grows.

Spiralling energy bills, rising petrol prices and the cost of food means some people are seeking help for the first time, including the elderly and those in low-paid jobs.

Nomad, which runs a food bank out of the d:two centre in Market Place, has delivered 291 food packages this year, a 39 per cent increase on the same period last year.

The charity, which has been running for 26 years, is supporting about 200 households in Nettlebed, Shiplake, Stoke Row and
Woodcote.

Head of operations Tim Prior said: “Those households have single people, elderly, young, single parents, a whole mix and not always those you would associate with using a food bank.

“We’ve seen more of those types of people — those who are struggling to meet their bills and whose outgoings are not matching their incomings.”

Nomad relies on donations from supermarkets, schools, churches and the public to stock its food bank.

The food packages it sends to families include long-life items such as pasta, soup, tins of meat, rice, squash, crisps and biscuits as well as food vouchers for supermarkets.

The parcels are unmarked as Mr Prior believes there is still a stigma for people who rely on food banks. 

He said: “For some this is the first time they have used a food bank. We try to do it in quite a subtle way. We don’t shout it from the rooftops.

“I think there are times in everyone’s lives when they need a little bit of additional help. In different ways we all need help from time to time.

“It can be families with big mortgages. They can be only a couple of pay packets away from difficult times.

“The food bank does support a wide cross-section of our community. For some, it’s just a couple of months while they’re transitioning and for others it’s a little bit longer.”

Mr Prior, 43, said that families on low incomes in Henley struggled more than those in less affluent areas.  “Henley is more expensive in general.” he said. “The cost of filling up your car, for example, is hugely more expensive than if you go to Reading.

“The cost of food is a lot more and the cost of shopping at Tesco in Henley is a lot more.

“I think a lot of people are surprised that there are families here in need but you don’t have to look hard to find them.”

Mr Prior said the food bank also benefited from being in a wealthy area as residents were generous with their donations.

“If anything, donations have increased,” he said. “There is an awareness that there are families in need. Sometimes being a charity in Henley can be difficult, especially with national funding, because it is is perceived as wealthy but with the food bank it has almost flipped.”

Seven volunteers currently work at Nomad on a weekly basis but Mr Prior said the operation could be expanded if the crisis continued. He said: “Because of covid we have plans in place to scale up and scale down when need be.

“If the need increases, we will put out more calls to help and ask for more volunteers.”

Nomad often refers those with family issues to Citizens Advice Henley, which is based in Market Place.

Citizens Advice has seen a
33 per cent rise in the number of clients compared with last year.

It helps those in need deal with problems, such as debt, offering advice and information through a team of 50 volunteers. 

One of them is Adrian, a retired corporate lawyer who was unable to give his full name for safeguarding reasons, who said he had noticed a change in the type of people asking for help.

“We have seen a lot more elderly people,” he said. “They usually try to make do rather than seek help, so the fact we are hearing from them shows they are worried.”

This year, Citizens Advice has dealt with 6,000 crisis support clients but manager Andy Jones says there are many more.

“We don’t answer anything like all the phone calls we get,” he said. “Demand exceeds capacity without any shadow of a doubt. That’s true right across the country.”

There is often a queue of up to an hour before people are put through to volunteers on the phone, so many hang up long before that.

Mr Jones, 59, said: “If people are determined they will get through eventually but after an hour’s wait their anxiety has got bigger.

“People often wait to go for help until it is at crisis point. They don’t come to you and say, ‘I am getting a bit more into debt each week’, they come in sobs of tears when the bailiffs kick the doors down.”

Mr Jones believes the cost-of-living crisis has only just begun and that demand will increase going into winter.

He said: “There will be more people struggling and different types of people.

“We typically have a lot of people unemployed but I think we will see a lot more people who are in lower-paid jobs struggling.

“Henley is better supported than other areas of the country but that doesn’t mean it’s enough.”

To make a donation to Nomad, visit https://www.totalgiving.
co.uk/charity/nomad

The Citizens Advice consumer helpline is 0808 223 1133 and Adviceline is 0808 278 7907 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk