10 years of Big Help Project - Food Support
It’s Throwback Thursday! Did you know that the Big Help Project is 10 years old this year? Over the next six weeks we invite you to look back at the history of the Big Help with us and see what we have been able to achieve together in the fight against poverty!
Our first #TBT is dedicated to the issue that launched the Big Help: food poverty. In 2011, Knowsley Foodbank was set up to help and support the rising levels of food poverty across Knowsley. Knowsley Foodbank supports people in Knowsley who are experiencing food crisis by providing them with a 3-day emergency food parcel.
In 2011, Knowsley Foodbank fed 714 people in its first six months of operating. In the year leading up to March 2021, our combined food support services provided food to circa 77,000 people across the Liverpool City Region!
When we first began in 2011, we had one foodbank centre in Kirkby. Over the past 10 years, we have been saddened to see the level of food poverty rise across our city- and country. As food poverty has grown, so has the Big Help; as of 2021, we have 7 centres for Knowsley Foodbank and 12 Community Food Partnerships/Food Clubs across the Liverpool City Region!
Knowsley Foodbank provides a short-term solution to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry by providing an emergency 3-day parcel. Over the past 10 years, we have looked at ways to provide long-term solutions to the issue of food poverty. This led to the launch of our first foodclub in 2018. Food Clubs and Community Food Partnerships are community stores, where members can buy 10 items for £3.50 as part of their weekly shop. The 10 items would usually cost approximately £10-£15. Anyone in the Liverpool City Region can become a member!
We are proud of the work and support we have been able to provide in our fight against food poverty over the past 10 years. We simply could not have done it without the support, generosity and determination of the individuals, families, organisations, and businesses who have donated and worked with us for the past decade. Thank you! Together we will ensure that no one goes hungry.
Pictured is Dr Barry Cooper, co-founder of Big Help Project, opening the first Knowsley Foodbank centre in 2011.
10 JUNE 2021