A food charity has warned the cost of living crisis is having a bigger impact on people's mental health than the Covid pandemic. 

Debbie Fixter, who runs Little Sprouts in Thornaby, described the current situation as "dire".

She said: "The need is massive and it’s worse than Covid. With Covid it felt like there was going to be an end but now with the cost of living crisis it feels like it is going to get worse and there is no end. People’s mental health is struggling because of that.

"These people have nothing to give up. There’s nothing they can knock off or cut back on because they’re on the baseline. There’s nothing they can change about their lives."

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The charit gathers surplus food to give out to people in need and teaches people how to cook on a budget. 

 It has been working with North Star Housing from its Community Hub in Havelock Street, where it has been based since the start of lockdown in 2020. 

Initally set up to help Stockton Council to deliver packed lunches to children entitled to free school meals, the hub has quickly expanded its aid to families experiencing high levels of food poverty. 

It now also helps pass on other items like toys, clothes and school uniforms and provides computers and mobile phones so people can access services which are still not operating a face-to-face service, as well as working with the Citizens Advice Bureau to ensure people are getting the benefits they are entitled to. 

Ms Fixter added: "We do something where we sell five items for £1 or ten items for £2. You can tell at certain times of the month people are struggling because they are paying in pennies and 5ps. It’s really telling. You can see people are really struggling and thinking about what to spend that £1 on.

"We try and help with what ever we can. I know we have some families who pay for their children to pay for boxing. I’m really happy because our help means they can free up the money so they can keep doing that because it’s all the kids have to do."

She added: "It’s absolutely dire. We don’t open until 10am but people get here at 8am. It’s partly because it’s a community so people are chatting and saying hello but it’s also because the people who get here first get the best pick of the surplus food.

“The donations of surplus food are getting less and less because shops are reducing their stock down earlier in the day."

Angela Lockwood, chief executive of North Star Housing, warned this week that the cost of living crisis is the worst she has seen in her 30-year career.

She told the Northern Echo that tenants were going cold to avoid heating costs and foodbanks were being asked to give out food that does not require cooking.

She said: "It’s gone beyond deprivation – we are dealing with widespread destitution and it’s going to get a lot worse when we reach winter.

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“Food and fuel prices have soared and ‘budget’ food staples, such as pasta, have increased by 50 per cent in the past 12 months. With the war in Ukraine adding to the economic challenges, we are facing the perfect storm.”

She called on the Government to bring in a range of support measures, including providing free school meals for all children, re-instating the £20 Universal Credit uplift, in-year benefit increases and more funding for local authorities to support people in the community.

 

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