A community food hub is to be set up in Keswick to support people struggling to make ends meet because of the cost of living crisis.
Cllr Jean Murray made the announcement at the February meeting of the town council and said it was in response to a meeting she attended with other local community activists at the Derwent Valley Children’s Centre at which it became clear many people were having difficulties putting food on the table.
“Figures from the CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) make appalling reading,” she said. “About 10 per cent of the population are on some sort of benefit and people who are running informal foodbanks in the town are being approached by people who have two working parents but are not eligible for benefits and are not in a position to claim any sort of benefits.”
The community food hub is to be set up in the town’s library and will mean that those in need can pop along and get two bags full of food for a voluntary donation of £2. Food will be purchased with monetary donations made at the hub and the Co-op and Booths have also been approached.
She said that a community food hub differs from a foodbank where people have to be referred from the CAB or social services and they get a pack to last them for three days.
“Anyone in Keswick can use the community food hub at any time that they want,” she said, adding: “There is a myth that Keswick is a rich town and people are well off and don’t need help, which is clearly nonsense,” said Cllr Jean Murray. “Clearly there is a huge need in Keswick for this.”
Cllr Murray said that people had already come forward to volunteer and premises had been secured at the library in the former CAB room. The upstairs of the library will become a storage area and a local decorator has agreed to paint both areas free-of-charge.
“We are very keen that it should just not be for people in Keswick but for anyone in the surrounding area,” said Cllr Murray. “I am very pleased that we are using the library because it does not have the stigma of going to somewhere that has foodbank across the door.”
Opening hours will be announced as soon as plans are finalised and the town is to be leafleted with details.
