Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Ricky Tomlinson on Trussell Trust food banks: My proud city Liverpool does not deserve to go hungry


The TV comedy star is furious that a "prat" like Tory Government minister Lord Freud says people are just going to take advantage of a free meal

Concerned: Ricky is upset that families have to turn to food banks
Concerned: Ricky is upset that families have to turn to food banks
When I was asked to help out at a Liverpool food bank by the Trussell Trust and Len McCluskey, I leapt at the chance. But what I saw there really stopped me in my tracks.

The volunteers were working flat out packing food boxes for families who without their help would have nothing to wake up to on Christmas morning.

Then the manager Paul told me this was just one of a number of food banks in and around Liverpool and all of them would be rushed off their feet over Christmas.

In all there are 400 Trussell Trust food banks trying to feed 20,000 kids this Christmas. That’s on top of the 500,000 people they’ve fed since April, which is like feeding the whole of Wembley stadium five and a half times over.

Now Len and I are working class Liverpudlians – born and bred. We know what Scousers are like. Ours is a city full of proud people.

It’s obvious to us that the moment a family was forced to go to a food bank for help would’ve been one of the hardest of their lives – no matter how friendly the volunteers.

So it makes me furious when a prat like Tory Government minister Lord Freud says people are just going to take advantage of a free meal. Rubbish! These families are totally desperate.

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