HIDDEN HUNGER Every little helps
TINNED MEAT TINNED FISH TINNED VEGETABLES INSTANT MASHED POTATO COOKING SAUCES TINNED TOMATOES JAM FRUIT JUICE (LONG LIFE) TINNED FRUIT BREAKFAST CEREALS TINNED RICE PUDDING TINNED SPONGE PUDDING MILK (UHT OR POWDERED) INSTANT COFFEE/TEA BAGS SUGAR (500G) BISCUITS OR SNACK BARS
Rita Álvarez Tudela
Copyright Š 2015 by Rita à lvarez Tudela All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United Kingdom www.ritatudela.com
HIDDEN HUNGER
Around 13 million people live below the poverty line in the United Kingdom. They go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected electricity bill or a low income. The foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis across the country. In 2013-14 foodbanks fed 913,138 people nationwide. Rising food and fuel prices, static incomes, underemployment and changes to benefits are some of the reasons why increasing numbers are being referred to foodbanks for emergency food.
“Less than 5% of foodbank clients are homeless, many are working families�
“1 in every 5 mums in the United Kingdom regularly skip meals to feed their children�
Many families hit crisis and cannot afford food. It is a phenomenon that could be called hidden hunger, as many of the people suffering it are ashamed of their situation and do not want to tell their closed circle of family and friends about it. Furthermore, they do not want to be photographed and appear on the news. Luckily, there are foodbanks to help people in this situation. They are run by the community for the community. Volunteers are trained to provide a listening ear over a cup of tea and sometimes this makes the biggest difference.
DONATE FOOD!
We currently urgently need...
Food donations are always welcome at foodbanks and distribution centres across the United Kingdom during opening hours. You can also arrange to buy groceries online at your favorite supermarket and have it delivered to our centers. Whatever you can give, can make the difference.
tinned vegetables long life juice & squash 500g granulated sugar jam, honey, etc instant mash potato tinned custard rice pudding tinned sponge pudding pasta & rice sauces heatlhy cereals long life milk
We are running low on...
EMAIL US
savoury snacks tinned pasta tinned meat tinned steak & kidney pie instant granulated coffee granulated decaf. coffee chocolate powder couscous, pulses & grains microwave rice shower gel & soap washing liquid
If you would like to donate food to help local people in crisis, why not ring at 074 7823 2023 or at 020 7370 0338 or email first at foodbank@ stlukeschurch.co.uk to let them know of your plans? That way, foodbanks can tell you exactly which items they are particularly in need of at that time.
ROBERT AND HIS DOG Robert is 65 years old and was forced to use a foodbank for the first time last June. “I checked my bank account and I didn’t receive my money. My status was supposed to change from being on benefits to a pension credit but something went wrong and it didn’t happen.I must admit that I felt like I was doing something wrong when I went inside the food bank to collect my voucher,” he explains. According to official data about regional breakdowns of the number of people who were referred to Trussell Trust food banks in the last financial year, the primary referral reasons were: benefit delays, 30%; low income, 22%; and benefit changes, 14%.
A MORNING WITH JAMIE Jamie often works as a temporary worker in warehouses and production lines. “I struggle to pay my electricity bill, council tax and the rent with my low income,� he explains. Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income.
Debbie and her partner have used a foodbank in Chatham for the second time in the past six months. “My partner had £170 stolen yesterday and we reported it to the police. Our money for the week is gone. Without the foodbanks I do not know what we will eat this week. The foodbank really helps us” she explains.
Tara, Bradleah and their son posed in front of their car. “A combination of circumstances took us here. It’s difficult to live with less that five pounds a day when you have a wife and a child. I used to be a delivery driver but now I am on a job seek allowance. We even had to sell our wedding rings to have a proper Christmas last year,” explains Bradleah.
FRANCES, THE BEAUTY CONSULTANT Frances celebrated her birthday using a food bank. “This can happen to everyone. One minute you can be up there and the next one here. But when you have people supporting you is wonderful and you don’t feel alone. Every time I come here I end up crying, but it is a good thing because I know I can open my heart,” explains this beauty consultant who used to work at Harrods and Selfridges.
Yonas Nigusse (29) was born in Ethiopia but has lived in London for more than 20 years. He has already used the Kensington & Chelsea foodbank a few times now. “For the past few months I’ve been hearing voices. I am seeing a doctor and then I plan to look for a job. It is good that foodbanks are helping people that do not have enough money like me. They give me some food and we pray together when I come here,” Nigusse explains.
Lyon Chevan (40) is from Malta but has been living in London for the past three months. He often goes to the Upper Room organization to have a hot meal for dinner. “I am waiting for the Unique Tax Reference number to work here without any restriction. Everyday I hear about nice jobs in the building and construction sector. My family is not here with me and I have lived here for a very short period of time to judge how I feel about London,� Chevan explains.
The Upper Room is a front line charity, based in Shepherd’s Bush, West London. It began as a simple soup kitchen in 1990 and it still attends to the immediate survival needs of its beneficiaries but it uses the provision of food as the first point of contact with the excluded and then gives them access to two internal employability projects (UR4Jobs & UR4Driving) and a broad range of onward referrals to other specialist organisations.The charity’s mission statement is ‘improving lives’. All of its services are delivered for free and its two step strategy attends to the immediate, interim and long term life chances of the beneficiaries. UR4Meals feeds 90-120 people, five days a week, as well as providing free clothing and bedding, volunteer opportunities, support with health and housing, onward referrals and reconnection services. In 2011/12 it served over 29,000 meals, provided over 2,000 toiletries and supplied nearly 300 sleeping bags to 600 people.
UR4Meals provides evening meals five days a week from 5:30pm to 6:45pm. It also provides: Free toiletries, clothing and bedding. Onward referrals for health, housing and benefits. Good4You visit one day a week and help disabled beneficiaries apply for a Freedom Pass. Legal aid solicitors are available to help with housing, benefits advice, appeals, tribunals and immigration. UR4Meals relies on the help of up to 20 volunteers per week, drawn from the local community, who assist with a variety of tasks: helping to prepare the food; serving the meals; cleaning, sorting and distributing the clothing and bedding etc. In the case of UR4Jobs, it is a pioneering and Big Lottery funded multilingual employment support service. It aims to break the circuit of un-employability and homelessness among 300 beneficiaries a year by providing a personalised mix of administrative expertise, entry level skills training, motivational courses, bilingual counselling and access to legitimate jobs.
UR4Meals served 24,253 meals and 5,864 takeaways, with an average of 84 people attending each session in 2014. The majority were UK nationals. The Project Manager provided advice/support to 504 people, and over the phone support to 341 people. It made 11 referrals for reconnection, 42 for rehab/detox, and 97 for housing/accommodation. 3,970 toiletry articles and 850 items of clothing or bedding were distributed. In addition 102 people were scanned by the mobile TB XRay unit, and 71 rough sleepers had basic medical checks by the Greenlight Medical Van. As well as the food donations, they also had substantial gifts of clothes, toiletries and sleeping bags, from various people and organisations including Greenshoot (Sky TV), Sainsbury’s, Coats on London, Meridian Hotel Piccadilly, Queen’s Mother Clothing Guild, Ravenscourt Baptist Church, Wood Green New Covenant Church, St Gabriel’s Church, and Pots & Co.
Summary of outputs in 2012: - Average of 20 clients per session - 269 new clients registered of whom 122 were either Polish or North Eastern European (A8 Nationals) and 60 were Romanian or Bulgarian (A2 Nationals) - 113 clients attended weekly entry level ESOL for work classes - Employability support – 97 NI interviews booked, 77 bank accounts opened, 38 ID’s secured, 33 self-employment registrations, 96 CV’s written or updated, 137 job placements/referrals made - 105 clients received support with referrals to benefit agencies where appropriate (registering for child support, working tax credits, ESA and housing benefits) -5 clients received legal support and signposting. (UR4Jobs has links with AIRE Centre, a local legal advice agency that employs a Polish speaker) -174 clients received multilingual CSCS training for work on building sites
Andrejs arrived at The Upper Room in May 2013, homeless and without any documents, as all his belongings had been stolen one night while he was asleep in a park. He was very willing to help, but unable to get a proper job without any ID. He volunteered, attended ESOL classes, and his English improved considerably. As soon as he had hid passport back, he found a job in construction, and was soon able to rent a room on his own. In 2013-14, 212 clients attended ESOL classes. 27 passports/IDs were obtained, 55 took CSCS exams, and 22 obtained CSCS cards as well. We managed to get two clients into permanent housing. 148 National Insurance numbers were obtained, 72 CVs compiled, and 200 counselling sessions delivered. 224 clients were helped with travel expenses to attend job interviews, work and NI appointments, and 38 clients were he lped to find work.
“It is very hard to look at your baby and not be able to feed him, but with your help today I was able to� Low income working couple
“I am 30 years old I have being without an employment for almost two years. It’s really difficult to find a job right now” Unemployment woman
Let’s stop UK hunger together
The number
One in seven
of multimillionaires in the
multimillionaires or billionaires
United Kingdom has grown
is worried their wealth could be
in 2014 by 71% over
depriving their children of drive and ambition
Britain’s 1,000 richest people now have a combined fortune of £519 billion – the equivalent of a third of the nation’s gross domestic product
World’s most expensive apartment went on sale for £75 millions in London in 2015
The number
The world’s most
of multimillionaires in the
expensive meal was paid in
United Kingdom has grown in
London for £44,000 by a
2014 by 71% over the
group of six high-flying
past decade
investment bankers
London overtook
The typical cost per
Hong Kong as
individual employee of
the world’s most expensive
renting somewhere in London
city to live and
to live and office space
work in
is $120,000 a year
London’s housing
World’s most
madness means it
expensive apartment
is cheaper to live in Madrid and
in London went
commute by plane, four
on sale for
days a week
£75 millions
A Mercedes covered
Kensington Palace
in Swarovski crystals was
Gardens has been named
spotted in the
for the past seix years
area of Knightsbridge
the most expensive
in London
street in Britain
Emergency food and support for people in crisis
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Making “Hidden Hunger� possible has been a journey surrounded by the help of amazing people. I would like to thank The Trusell Trust and UR4Meals for all their help and access for the past few months. I cannot express how thankful I am to these three amazing women: Pauline, Fabiana and Cecilia. Your work is incredible and very touching. Thanks to each of the volunteers of the Kensington & Chelsea foodbank that made me feel at home from the very first day. Thanks to each of the users of the foodbank who agreed to let me take their pictures and share their stories. Thanks to all my professors from the Documentary and Photojournalism MA at Westminster University to push me to the best of myself for this project. Thanks to Chris and David for always help me out with equipment and questions at the studio. Thanks to my amazing classmates for their incredible support and help through this learning process. I would like to thank each of you for your suggestions, ideas, support, long chats and encouragement. Andrea, Lukas, Jake and Maryam, you gave invaluable help. Thanks to Carla, Ainhoa, Leire, Laia and Miriam, the best friends I could only dream to have in London. Thanks to the Madrid team who persuaded me to continue the shooting when I was not feeling capable. Thanks to Paul and Romain for their support from DC. Thanks to the Beijing gang who are always there, no matter if there is a six or eight hours difference. Thanks to Christen for being a great friend and 24/7 proofreader. Thanks to my parents, without them I would never have the strength to complete this project.