The SNP Government is awarding an additional £500,000 to the charity FareShare to step up redistribution of surplus food for people struggling to afford to eat.
The funding, which doubles investment in FareShare over the next two years, will help the charity mitigate the impact of sustained austerity cuts imposed by the UK Tory Government. This £500,000 is in addition to the SNP Government’s £3.5 million Fair Food Fund, established to tackle food insecurity.
Communities Cabinet Secretary Aileen Campbell MSP said:
“In a country as prosperous as ours, everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food. Our further investment in FareShare and community groups ensures we reach more people who have been badly hit by UK Government cuts and who need help the most.
“Scotland is the only UK nation to routinely monitor food insecurity using the UN’s recommended measure and we continue to address the underlying causes.”
FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell added:
“This vital funding means we’ll be able to get greater quantities of good quality, nutritious surplus in-date food into our existing network of almost 500 Scottish charities.
“We will also be able to extend our reach to more frontline organisations supporting people in need, particularly those in isolated island and rural communities.”
Kenneth Gibson MSP commented:
“I very much welcome this extra £500,000.
“North Ayrshire Foodbank works with FareShare and I know people across North Ayrshire will benefit from this additional funding.
“In 2018/19 the Fair Food Fund was increased from £1 million to £1.5 million, and it will be further increased to £3.5 million in 2019/20.
“Although I welcome the SNP Government making these funding choices as it is the right thing to do, it is an indicator of how badly UK Tory cuts continue to impact.
“According to the ‘Poverty in Scotland’ report published in October 2018 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, on average, the majority of children in poverty have at least one adult in work and in many cases those parents are working all hours.
“It is high time the Tories realise their policies are not only unhelpful, they are actually damaging to people and Communities across North Ayrshire and Scotland.”
ENDS
