Local business T.D.G Tree Services has raised over £1,200 for the Isle of Wight Foodbank as a result of their Christmas tree recycling initiative. The team has been busy over the New Year period collecting, recycling and chipping as many trees as possible. A spokesperson from T.D.G Tree Services has said:
“This year, thanks to the support and generous donations from island residents, we have managed to raise over £1,200 for the Isle of Wight Foodbank. “We collected, chipped and recycled as many Christmas trees as we could over the 4th and 5th of January 2024 in return for donations to our chosen charity. The amount raised will keep the Isle of Wight Foodbank van running for almost a year or provide nutritional food for 240 days! Huge thanks to everyone who has donated. “In the 4 years we have run this fundraising event, we have raised more than £3,650 for island charities. Each year we have surpassed the amount raised in the previous year and we hope to continue to do so for many years to come.”
Can anyone please tell me WHO are in ‘need’ of foodbanks?
IF a pensioner on a state pension, then well over £200 a week each, often with no mortgage or heavily subsidised rent should be enough to buy food and heating.
IF a parent, then over £20 per child per week, along with free or heavily subsidised rent and council tax, if you can bother to work just 16 hours, then you get hundreds a week in Universal credits (ex child tax and working tax credit), along with your wage, you get free prescriptions, free dental care for entire family, so what DO you spend your benefits and income on?
Truly interested in who truly ‘needs’ food aid in the UK.
Love to know their income verses outgoings, odd how some manage, yet all get same
Maybe this person should not make judgments on people or there income status
We sadly live in a world where there r always going to b a need for charities
Mostly funded by those who have little to spare but a big heart to give to those less fortunate than themselves it’s called compassion
Plus none of us know when a need for a charity will arise
Yes sadly there r those who take who do this even though they can afford or have sufficient incomes to buy or pay for the necessary expenses
But r happy to over spend on things we may call the unnecessary
Plus no all people even those with sufficient incomes get100% rent allowance so working or on benefits all things need to be taken into consideration
By all charities
These food banks only provide ultra-processed food to people who already live on ultra-processed food, and who will consequently burden the overstretched NHS with multiple health issues in years to come. If food banks need to exist, they should provide people with proper food. They should provide a few vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage), some meat (chicken, beef mince), oil, and flour. That is all they need to make healthy meals.
Perhaps adding the contraceptive pill too, for IF you are living in such dire poverty, then with free contraception readily available, why on Earth would you ‘bring’ another innocent life to live in these ‘dire’ conditions, IF it is oh so awful.
Me thinks more a case of the word shame has left, and now the so called poor know the ‘squeakiest wheel, gets the most oil’ and know just how to milk the system and NOW the naive public too.
All I ask is for their total income and essential costs to be shown as benefits are the same for all in this country so why should we fund the feckless, it just creates MORE as their children learn it is the ‘way to go’ so a never ending spiral. Give nothing, we are keeping such anyway.
I think you’ll find that a huge amount of people turning to food banks aren’t the demographic you speak of. They are hardworking people and families who have suddenly found themselves in the position where the cost of living has risen so much that they can’t manage anymore like they used to because their wages haven’t risen and they aren’t covering the huge increases in costs. A friend of mine who has 2 children and both parents work full time have had to ask for help because their mortgage has gone up over £300 a month in one year alongside huge energy bill increases and food going through the roof. You’re looking in the wrong place. But keep voting Tory won’t you. I’m sure it’s not their fault……
In the real world, people would downsize to a house with a mortgage that they can afford rather than going to get some free food. The people you speak of are not poor but instead they are now living beyond their means and should adjust their lifestyle accordingly. If my wages did not cover my bills, I would move into a cheaper house with a smaller mortgage or get another part-time job because I don’t expect handouts. Essentially, your friend is using the food bank to help pay their mortgage and that is wrong on every level. You are saying the truth is that people are donating to food banks to help people pay their mortgages. Everyone should think about that before making a donation to a food bank.
K Wheatley, so do the maths.
Two parents in full time work, earning the minimum wage will be on at least £800 per week. (40 hrs x £10) x 2. And that is being kind as the minimum wage is more than £10 ph.
Add to that twenty pounds for each child in child allowance so £840 pw, add universal credit which IF on min wage they will get, which then pays not only a monthly sum for the family, but then allows free dental care and prescriptions for the entire family too.
Free school meals, uniforms, transport to school if outside catchment area, extra money for heating.
So maybe just shy of £1,000 per week or 50k per year, and STILL need free food?
Correct anything I may have missed, or are they only telling you half truths?
Done the maths. You haven’t. With tax, national insurance, rent way above the amount housing benefit supports, probable child care costs, travel costs ( it’s not unreasonable to assume there is at least one car to get to work) high energy costs, council tax, there is pretty much naff all to spend on food. And I did the calculation, on 36 hours at ten pounds. Weekly income after tax and NI is £325 per person, so £650, and potential benefit and allowance of £131 between them, so £781 per week .
probably paying £1000 (over housing benefit allowance )for private rent, £250 gas and electric, full council tax (£210) water£35, home insurance £30, tv licence £13, car tax £30, insurance £30, running (fuel) costs £100, maintenance costs £40, etc
Well done, there are many people who will really appreciate this
PS This firm are also v good ‘tree people’ really know how to manage trees rather than just hacking them down
Sure many will “appreciate this”, all the spongers, chancers, greedy, and ex thick who have wised up and spend their money (or more precisely OUR money via benefits) on what they ‘want’ then plead poverty, and get mugs to fund their food.
What next run round with a holiday voucher and some fuel for the BMW
The STATE (again us) pays people enough to live on, or dare I suggest they work IF that can’t manage on staying home in the warm whilst we toil in the cold.
Here we go again the bigots are back! You have obviously never been unemployed then last time I had to claim unemployment benefit I also had to pay council taxes out of my £70 per week which after bills left me with £10 per week for food and I was very grateful for the food banks !
For all those who think poor people are all ‘scroungers, druggies, single parents ( who by the way do a fantastic job) etc. get a life! You have absolutely no idea what people are going through or have struggled with. Loss of job, loss of supporting partner, illness, grief, homelessness due to landlord selling and unable to find an alternative place to live ( the housing market is dire, so for those who say just downsize, it’s virtually impossible). Old, hard to heat housing ( see previous comment). Someone mentioned pensioners getting £200 per week. Even without rent, that’s about £800 per month. Council tax £150, gas and electric £150 at least, water £25, insurance £25, tv licence £13, clothing, £20, house maintenance £30 etc.