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From this department store in a nondescript suburb of Birmingham, food is supplied to the needy of an entire region in England. Behind it is Fareshare. Bread, vegetables, dairy products – the NGO distributes surplus food to schools, food banks and other social institutions. In recent years, a huge professional network of non-profit initiatives has emerged in the UK, serving several million people. Why is this necessary? This is the question we are looking into.
We meet Maria, one of the longest-serving volunteers. Today, a large food delivery awaits them. Maria has been with Fareshare for ten years, coming at least three days a week. Lately, however, you need them here on five days:
Maria, Fareshare Midlands helper:
"We give out a lot of food, and yet people need more food. It's a crisis out there."
Great Britain is in the throes of a deep price crisis, the so-called Cost of Living Crisis. Food price inflation in the country alone is over 19 percent in April. The UK's largest food bank association distributed more than three million food parcels to customers last year – more than ever before in the UK. The number of so-called food banks also rose to 2600 last year.
That is almost three times as many as in the more populous Germany.
Added to this are the high energy costs. Almost half of Britons have struggled to pay their gas and electricity bills, according to a survey. So does Mary Obomese. She lives in Woolwich in south-east London and works for the NHS. In December, she used one of the thousands of warming rooms that were suddenly needed across the country. We will meet her again to see how she is doing today.
10 a.m. The large shipment arrives at Fareshare – a 40-tonne truck from the discounter TESCO. He brings goods that are no longer quite fresh, but edible. Fareshare also receives products from farms and small shops – and redistributes them.
The initiative started around twenty years ago with a handful of branches, and today there are 34. Fareshare alone employs 1500 people, plus 5000 unpaid helpers. Together, they saved 54,000 tons of food last year.
Mary also regularly takes bread or fruit from the warehouse. The trained nurse takes care of three of her five children at home. Every penny counts.
Maria, Fareshare Midlands helper:
"The other day I bought butter, no, sugar. And it has just become more expensive. At Lidl, it cost 90p and now it has risen to £1.09. And I think: Wait a minute. I was there just last week. How can that be... It's like it's like this every week."
Many Britons have recently felt the same way as Mary. Suzanne McBride agrees. She came from Coventry, 40 kilometres away. Every Tuesday, McBride picks up the ration for her "Grub Hub" initiative – a community supermarket with unbeatably low prices. We will accompany them there.
The number of people in need had already risen during the pandemic, says McBride. In the current crisis, however, the audience has changed.
Suzanne McBride, Charity Grub Hub:
"In the past, many welfare recipients came to us who simply needed support. But now, in fact, many working people and people whose income is right at the limit are coming. Those who are not entitled to free school meals and so on. Often they are very uncomfortable coming to us. But we try to reassure them that there are many people who are in the same situation."
Around 760,000 people were dependent on food banks for the first time, including many working people, according to the largest food bank network in the country. One of them is Mary Obomese. The 53-year-old works part-time and earns 1300 pounds net, the equivalent of about 1500 euros. Since the price increases, it can no longer live on it alone.
Mary Obomese, NHS staff:
"When I used to go shopping, I could fill my fridge with £50and even have some leftover. But now at £50, you're only getting half of what you used to buy."
Mary is the main breadwinner of her family. She lives with her husband and two children in a four-room apartment. Your 900-euro rent is largely covered by the housing benefit. The other fixed costs amount to the equivalent of around 530 euros. In addition, there are the expenses for food - and in winter the now very high heating costs, which Obomese still stutters today.
Mary Obomese, NHS staff:
"I know that when the money comes, we have to double that because everything has doubled. So we have to save twice. If you subtract the electricity bill, the water bill, the transport costs and other things, there is nothing left."
Mary is currently working on a business idea. She hopes that this could improve her situation. But why is the situation so critical for many Britons? After Brexit, the corona pandemic and changing prime ministers, the UK does not seem to be getting out of crisis mode. The outlook for the UK economy looks bad. The energy crisis hit the country hard, as more people here heat and cook with gas than in Germany. For years, wages stagnated, and a rigorous austerity policy by conservative governments ensured that less was invested in the welfare system than in the financial industry. This is now taking its revenge.
At the Community Supermarket in Coventry, Suzanne McBride and the volunteers have prepared everything for those waiting.
Suzanne McBride, Grub Hub initiative:
"Sorry you had to wait. Yikes, I'm already falling here for you. We are ready.«
Unlike the food banks, people can come by here without proof of entitlement. However, the food is not free, but much cheaper than in the supermarket. You pay a flat rate of five pounds for three large shopping bags full of fresh fruit, vegetables and frozen food. About 120 families take advantage of the offer – Andi and Joan, out of necessity, since October:
Reporter:
"And these things are all cheaper than in the supermarket, right?"
Joan, customer:
"These things here are even free. Apart from snacks, we bought snacks that cost 10 or 20 pence. So we bought some chocolate as a small reward."
Andi, customer:
"We got all this for five pounds. Plus two pounds. It's probably worth £30."
Joan, customer:
"Andi was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and lost his job because of it. We have slipped into poverty as a result. So this helps us tremendously."
The supermarket is not the only service offered by the community centre in Coventry. Almost every week, city councillor and Labour MP Pat Seaman comes and offers social counselling.
Pat Seaman, councillor:
"There's no shame in coming here. Everybody is suffering right now, isn't it?"
Mick, retiree:
"What brings me here is actually a bit of desperation because I've worked all my life. I am 74 years old and was a truck driver. I lost my job in December last year. I'm missing about £200 to £250 each month to make a living. I can't do that. So I have to apply for welfare."
Actually, it can't be Pat's job to help people like him who have worked all their lives, says Mick.
Mick, retiree:
"There are so many people out there, dear people, who are in the same situation – and they shouldn't be. I think the government should take care of it."
In 2022, the British government made several payments to low-income people – the equivalent of around 750 euros per household in total. Further aid payments are planned, and there has also been an energy price brake. The British food banks initially saw a decline in customers after each payment. But each time, the demand increased again after a very short time.
Mary has received one of the government's aid payments. A drop in the ocean, she says. She wonders how long she and her family will have to "hold on".
Mary Obomese, NHS staff:
"If I could ask the Prime Minister a question, how does he intend to improve the situation for poor people? Healthy food is expensive, so how are poorer people supposed to afford to buy healthy food?"
Despite high food prices, Mary has found her own way to cook healthily and efficiently – with recipes from her home country Ghana. Her dream: to cook inexpensive but healthy food and deliver it to people like herself.
Mary Obomese, NHS staff:
"It's not expensive at all, it's very cheap to produce. You eat one and you're full."
Fighting the crisis with a clever idea – that's also the concept of Fareshare. However, the NGO does not want to replace the state. On the contrary, Fareshare is calling for £200 million from the government in a petition.
Laura Spencer, Head of Development at Fareshare Midlands:
"We can't do it alone. You shouldn't rely on us to support people all the time. We need the support of the government and we need their help and investment so that we can get the food to the people who really need it."
So far, the government has not responded to the petition.