FLINTSHIRE foodbank has reached a 10-year milestone.

There is a reluctance to use the phrase ‘celebrate’ in this instance as the stark reality is that foodbanks are there to help those who may be struggling – something that should be eradicated in an ideal world.

Unfortunately, an ideal world is far from reality and the latest stats from the foodbank support this as it heads into its tenth year.

In the first six months of 2022 alone, Flintshire foodbank has seen a 42% rise in vouchers issues and a 51% increase in people using the services compared to the same period in 2021.

The Leader:

A spokesperson for the foodbank said: “The last six months we have had the most significant rise in the cost-of-living crisis. There were some additional charities and support set up during covid which is why the figures were slightly lower than expected. Overall, we have seen a big increase in the number of people that need our help, particularly over the last few months.

“This is a milestone we don’t want to celebrate.”

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Project manager at Flintshire Foodbank Sue Leake said: "It is a privilege to be involved with the Foodbank and help meet such a need in Flintshire. The number of people coming to the Foodbank is still increasing as more and more people find themselves in need of our service in these difficult times.

"The commitment of our many volunteers has been exceptional over these last 10 years; I am very grateful to the amazing Foodbank team who give their time so willingly to support those in food poverty."

Cllr Mike Allport volunteers at the warehouse and he spoke of some of the unfortunate desperation he has witnessed.

He said: “I started volunteering at the Foodbank shortly after they started when we were at the church in Wrexham Street.

“I expected the Foodbank to be short-lived and to close when the demand was satisfied. But just the opposite has happened with a sore in demand for our services.

“One event which sticks in my mind was serving a customer who has walked from Connahs Quay to Mold to pick up his parcel. This is real desperation. The demand for our services is ever expanding- help is more needed than ever.”