As part of The Oldham Times 'No Hungry Kids This Summer' campaign, we went down to speak with the volunteers and organisers at Oldham Foodbank.

The food bank operates out of a warehouse on Vulcan Street, with volunteers packing items and delivering them to people in need.

Volunteers have noticed a sharp rise in those needing help and said certain staple items, such as bread and butter, were often in short supply.

The food bank’s organisational co-ordinator Tom Lewis Hood said the food bank had already supported 15,338 people this year, up from 9,980 people in the same time period last year.

Please help support Oldham Foodbank by donating to The Oldham Times' No Hungry Kids This Summer campaign

As more people struggle, donations are also falling – with the foodbank increasingly relying on its funds to purchase items.

Volunteer Jean Montgomery, aged 68, said certain items go ‘quickly’.

The Shaw resident said: “Sometimes we don’t have much fresh stuff, but it’s nice if we do and you can put some fresh things in for them.

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“There’s certain things that go quickly like jam biscuits, you can come in and the shelf is full.

"But when you think everyone’s having one in their parcel, by the end of the day it’s like OK, all that went. You think you’ve got a lot, but it’s gone before you know it.”

 

@theoldhamtimes We went down to Oldham Foodbank today to speak to the incredible volunteers as part of our No Hungry Kids This Summer campaign ❤#Oldham #costofliving #foodbank ♬ original sound - The Oldham Times

Volunteer driver Julia Randall said she ‘couldn’t believe’ the state of poverty in Oldham.

The 78-year-old added: “I cannot believe the poverty, I cannot believe the demand from people where I’ve just been.

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"They’ve got nothing and it’s 2023 in England. It’s unbelievable. Everybody here does an absolutely fantastic job, they all try their best to get out to people that are in need.”

Starting to volunteer at the food bank in 2022, Kate Gregson helps with admin at the food bank.

She said: “I’ve always done voluntary work ever since I retired, and something came to an end so I decided to help the food bank out, because they’re obviously desperate for people.”

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The 67-year-old added that the food bank now has to give out ‘kettle packs’ to those with no way to cook their own food.

She added: “It’s busier. I was quite lucky as I had the summer of 2022 to learn the ropes, and from then on with the economic crisis and the war in Ukraine, things are much more difficult for people. Food is so expensive, they find they just can’t afford it.

“We find we’re really, really busy sometimes. In fact, it’s happening again this summer holidays. You wouldn’t normally expect it as much in the summer, but with kids at home people are struggling.”