Hunger for foodbank continues to rise

THE number of people using the Oldham Foodbank has more than tripled over the past year.

Around 120 families visit the Clegg Street centre each week, many referred by children’s centres across the borough.

Since April, volunteers have helped to feed 3,700 families, compared with 1,200 over the same period in 2012.

Nationally, 500,000 people have received emergency supplies from a foodbank organised by the Trussell Trust since April.

Trussell Trust chairman Chris Mould said: “Low-income families are teetering on a financial knife-edge. Numbers given three days of emergency food by Trussell Trust foodbanks since April topped 500,000. We need urgent cross-party action on food poverty.”