Newslink Autumn / Winter 2016

Read Josh’s story on page 14

lect on 20 yea rs ref rs

nsforming live tra s of

“It made me feel really good when I could get food and speak to people at the foodbank.”

l Trust fou ssel nd e Tru

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Welcome “Without the foodbank, I don’t think I would be here today.”

- A foodbank client

It’s comments like these that remind us why we’re fighting to stop UK hunger and I want to thank you for your fantastic support in helping us assist even more people on their journey out of poverty.

With 2017 marking 20 years since The Trussell Trust was established, we invite our founders Paddy and Carol to reflect on what has been achieved since then.

It’s an inspiring story that I hope you enjoy reading.

We recognise that stopping hunger is about more than food, which is why I’m so pleased that new initiatives such as our Holiday Clubs project, have been having a positive impact on families around the country. As you can read in the following pages, Holiday Clubs helped children to have a happy summer and face the new term, refreshed and ready to learn.

Lastly, we hope you will join us in supporting our chairman, Chris Mould, who’s been selected as part of the Global Heroes programme to take part in the Medtronic 10 Mile Run in Minneapolis. He’s raising funds for The Trussell Trust and our partner organisation, FSCI. I hope you’ll be able to support him.

While foodbanks recover from the increased demand in their services that the summer holidays bring, the change in seasons brings with it the Harvest Festival, offering foodbanks the chance to stock up on essential items ready for the winter months: such supplies are needed so they can continue being a lifeline to people in crisis.

Thank you again for your continued support, which is helping us change the lives of people who are struggling with hunger and poverty every day.

David McAuley - Chief Executive

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Autumn/Winter 2016

Stay in the loop with news straight to your inbox Are you keen to get a regular fix of news from The Trussell Trust straight to your inbox? Then sign up for ‘Newswire’, our bi-monthly e-newsletter so you never miss out on our updates!

Visit www.trusselltrust.org/newsletter to sign up.

Contents 4

News in brief

13

Every can helps

14

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Second chances

Josh’s story

Read why Chairman Chris Mould is running to raise funds for The Trussell Trust and FSCI

Meet Josh and find out how the foodbank helped him in his time of crisis

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Hope at Harvest

16

10

A safe haven during summer Becoming a legacy maker Hear from our founders, Paddy and Carol how a gift in Will had a life-changing impact

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Serving the community

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News in brief

Foodbank Friday initiative with network rail Monthly ‘Foodbank Friday’ collections, in partnership with Network Rail, have been underway at train stations across the UK to help fight hunger.

The initiative is taking place at 14 Network Rail stations across the country, from Edinburgh down to Bristol on the last Friday of every month. It gives Trussell Trust foodbanks the opportunity to raise awareness of their vital work, whilst also asking commuters to dig deep to support people in crisis.

During the first three months alone, a total of 27 foodbanks raised nearly £17,000, which will help contribute to their running costs, enabling them to continue offering short-term help when people are referred to them in a crisis.

TEA for Trussell The friendly invitation to have a hot drink with someone who has time to listen can make all the difference to someone in crisis walking through the doors of a foodbank. Every foodbank volunteer knows how important the offer of a cup of tea and a chat is to anyone and it was with this in mind that we developed our fundraising initiative, Tea for Trussell.

It’s the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends over tea and cake, whilst raising vital funds to support people in crisis and help stop UK hunger, and we want to say a big thank you to everyone who got involved with hosting one this summer. Every penny raised will make a difference to people in crisis.

If you haven’t signed up to host a Tea for Trussell party yet, visit www.trusselltrust.org/tea to order your free pack, including everything that you need to arrange the perfect tea party.

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Business Fives

Fun in the sun

We were delighted to have been the chosen charity partner for Scotland’s national business five-a-side football tournament, Business Fives, this summer. Many businesses got involved, helping to raise an incredible £3,000 in support of Scottish foodbanks.

Our annual 10-day summer camp took place in Bulgaria during August, providing 26 of the most vulnerable children from Lipnitsa Orphanage School with lots of enjoyment and a holiday to remember.

Pokemon Go The Pokemon Go craze has been sweeping the UK and it was great to see Games Centre in Scotland using it as a way to raise awareness of poverty.

They encouraged fans of the game to join them on a Pokemon Go walk by donating essential food parcel supplies, with over 400 items collected for the local foodbanks in one day alone!

A joint project with our partner organisation, the Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion (FSCI), the camp offered the children a range of games, crafts and beach activities, giving them the chance to relax and have fun in a safe environment, away from their usual difficult communities.

It’s just one of the overseas projects aimed at improving the lives of young people affected by poverty and social exclusion across South Eastern Europe that The Trussell Trust supports through FSCI.

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Second chances “We have a very important story to tell and I'm longing to reach out to thousands more people and spur them into action, as together, we can make a difference!�

Chris Mould

Autumn/Winter 2016 Trussell Trust Chairman, Chris Mould is an avid runner. He’s completed several marathons, half marathons and 10k races over the years, and is gearing up for the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile run in Minneapolis on 9th October to raise funds for The Trussell Trust and our partner organisation, Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion (FSCI).

But running 10 miles was something that Chris thought may never be possible after he was forced to give up his favourite pastime when his health began to decline in 2014.

“Running was where I went to think, but this came to a juddering halt when I found my times deteriorating and my breathing getting painful,” explains Chris. “I thought it was just a cold so pressed through for weeks.

But the weeks became months and the struggle got worse.”

After finally visiting a doctor, Chris was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis - a serious heart condition. He underwent open-heart surgery, which unfortunately led to complications that resulted in Chris being fitted with a pacemaker to go alongside his new mechanical heart valve. It was a very challenging time for Chris and his family.

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“My life was saved by the valve replacement and the grafting of my ascending aorta that I urgently needed.”

“The turnaround is remarkable. Instead of dying prematurely I can look forward to the years ahead without fear.”

Today Chris is back to running, climbing mountains and working long hours without struggling. He regularly reminds himself how much medical technology has transformed his life and is honoured to have been chosen as one of the 25 Global Heroes taking part in the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile race.

“I feel incredibly privileged to have been selected for the Medtronic run. It’s a wonderful way to mark the fact that life is now firmly back on track,” says Chris. “I’m an ordinary guy and I don’t feel much like a hero. It’s the medical technology that’s amazing, after all. I enjoy every single day I live and I am very, very thankful.”

The Global Heroes programme aims to celebrate and profile runners who have

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“I hope I can encourage people struggling with setbacks in life never to give up and highlight how, with a little adjustment, life really can be enjoyed again in full!” benefited from medical technology, and Chris hopes to use his involvement as a way to stir up a new wave of support for The Trussell Trust and FSCI. “These organisations have a great impact. They’re helping disadvantaged people get back on track and lead a fuller life,” explains Chris. “I know just how important our work is for the vulnerable and often desperate people we help. We have a very important story to tell and I’m longing to reach out to thousands more people and spur them into action, as together, we can make a difference!”

Support Chris Chris is taking part as a Global Hero in the Medtronic Twin Cities 10 mile run in Minneapolis, USA on 9th October 2016.

He’s running to raise funds for The Trussell Trust and Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion.

To support Chris please visit: www.trusselltrust.org/chris

After surviving such a serious threat to his health, Chris is relieved to be running again, and is looking forwarding to raising awareness of The Trussell Trust and FSCI as he takes part in the Medtronic race.

1 bagel for 1 km!

Thank you to the New York Bakery Co. for donating one bagel to a foodbank for every kilometre run during the Global Energy Race 2016!

These bagels will be added to the three-days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food parcels that foodbanks provide to people in crisis.

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Hope at Harvest

The autumn equinox, indicating the end of summer and a change in the seasons marks the celebration of Harvest.

It’s a period to reflect on the abundance of food we are fortunate to have, whilst also remembering those who don’t have access to the most basic necessities.

During the last year’s Harvest Festival period, an incredible 2,300 tonnes of food were collected by Trussell Trust foodbanks, and with the generous community support of schools, businesses and churches they are hoping to beat this total this year.

People are going hungry in our community every day, something that foodbanks know only too well.

Harvest is the perfect opportunity for foodbanks to stock up on items, so they can continue to provide food parcels to people struggling during the winter months, a time when foodbanks see a marked increase in demand in their services.

But foodbanks also need donations of money, as they need to cover the costs of storing and distributing food, and developing additional services to help people break the cycle of poverty.

Support the combined harvest Appeal Foodbanks rely on your goodwill to support people facing crisis within communities across the UK. Could you support your local foodbank with a combined donation of food and funds this Harvest? To get involved please visit: www.trusselltrust.org/harvest

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becoming a legacy maker “If we could start a movement where everyone gave just a little in their will we could change the world forever.”

In 1997, Paddy and Carol Henderson founded The Trussell Trust with an inheritance from Carol’s mother, Betty Trussell.

Today her gift is still transforming lives, and we spoke to Paddy and Carol to reflect on the past 20 years.

Betty Trussell

In her later years, Betty expressed a desire to help people, so when she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, Carol was motivated to carry out her mother’s wishes.

“We decided to use her inheritance to fund something that would have an effect and change lives forever by reaching people in the UK and overseas,” explains Carol.

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Newslink 11 “Betty’s money has had a true multiplier effect,” says Carol. “If it was just spent when she died it would never have had this impact. By investing it in the Trust it became a multiplier and has been the gift that kept on growing.”

Children at Lipnitsa School in Bulgaria

Paddy continues: “We had never been well off. We had always struggled financially, having seen real poverty, and here was a chance to make a difference.”

Initially, the charity focused on projects in Bulgaria, helping to improve the conditions for young and abandoned children. But work soon expanded to the UK when Paddy and Carol heard that children were going to bed hungry in Salisbury.

After learning about the problem of hidden hunger in the UK, Paddy and Carol set up the first foodbank from their garden shed in 2000. Four years later the Foodbank Network was launched, supporting communities to set up their own foodbanks nationwide to help local people in crisis. This has grown to over 400 foodbanks.

The Garden Shed - first Trussell Trust foodbank

With 2017 marking 20 years since The Trussell Trust was established in Betty’s memory, Paddy and Carol are amazed at the difference her legacy has had on helping to transform lives.

“Betty would be incredibly joyful and proud with what everyone has achieved.

God has really blessed the gift and multiplied it. We never saw all this happening,” admits Carol.

And they are confident her gift will carry on making a difference:

“We hope Betty’s legacy continues to produce new life changing community projects at home and overseas; changing lives, building communities and transforming society.”

Having seen the impact of Betty’s legacy, Paddy and Carol told us that they are planning to follow in her footsteps and they hope many others will feel inclined to do the same.

“In our society, we don’t talk about death and what our long term impact will be after we die,” says Carol, “We have to inspire people to start thinking about what their legacy will be and how their shadow can live on.”

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“If we leave money and leave it wisely, it will change lives forever!”

Paddy continues: “For us, a legacy is the boat we never owned and the holiday home we never had; you balance that against feeding a nation, changing the lives of children in Bulgaria. It’s the weighing scales of life, am I a consumer or will I tip the scales and become a legacy maker?”

Autumn/Winter 2016 Betty’s legacy is proof of the difference that can be made, with Paddy and Carol hoping to inspire more people to think about the final shadow they leave on the world and the impact it can have.

“At the end of the journey everyone wants to leave behind something meaningful. Let your shadow live on in someone else by changing their lives, and start the ripple effect by leaving a legacy that will heal lives and transform communities.”

Have you been inspired by paddy and Carol’s story?

Leaving a gift in your Will is a wonderful way to carry on supporting causes that matter to you long after your lifetime.

The vision and generosity of two individuals who wanted to change lives and make a difference has made our work possible, can you help it continue?

Gift in Wills are a vital part of ensuring we can keep working to tackle poverty and hunger in the UK. A legacy of any size will help change lives and means you can continue to make a difference even after you are gone.

If you would like to find out more about leaving a gift in your Will please visit www.trusselltrust.org/will or call us on 0172 580 178.

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EVERY CAN HELPS “I really love being able to give something back to the community.”

The Neighbourhood Food Collection takes place every Christmas and sees all UK Tesco stores host a collection for either a Trussell Trust foodbank or our partner charity, Fareshare. We spoke to Sue about why she gives up her time to volunteer at the three-day event.

“I have always had a heart for social action,” admits Sue, a full-time paediatric nurse who volunteers at Gloucester Foodbank in her spare time.

So when the Neighbourhood Food Collection began in 2012 she jumped at the chance to get involved, explaining: “I specifically request the time off work so I that I can give it the full commitment it deserves.”

Sue particularly likes having the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue of UK hunger: “I enjoy telling people about the important job the

Get involved with the Neighbourhood Food Collection To find out more please visit: www.trusselltrust.org/tesco-collection

Sue and Anneliese, Gloucester Foodbank Manager

foodbank does, explaining how it works and who we help.”

And customer generosity never ceases to amaze her: “It makes it worthwhile when someone pushes over a full trolley, takes out a bag, which you think they will donate, but then they walk away leaving the whole trolley of food!”

But what’s the best act of kindness Sue has witnessed? She admits: “It’s amazing when someone donates some items saying that the foodbank had helped them before and they were pleased to give something back.”

Donate: Simply pick up a shopping list in store and donate an item or two (or more!) to help fight hunger in your community.

Volunteer: Have fun and change lives by giving up a few hours of your time to collect the items needed to support people in crisis.

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josh’s Story “It made me feel really good when I could get food and speak to people at the foodbank. They’re really nice people, you don’t get many places like this.”

Growing up in an overcrowded house and a troubled family environment, Josh from Torfaen, South Wales, didn’t have the best start in life, and he was taken into foster care at the age of 16.

After several housing changes and a relationship breakdown, Josh ended up living in a youth hostel. “Things just went downhill, but I wanted to try to sort myself out,” he admits.

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Newslink 15 Josh is grateful that the foodbank was there to help in his time of crisis: “It’s not a nice way to be when you have no food,” he says. “And it’s not just food, you’ve got to buy clothes now and then, washing powder and cleaning products.

By the time you’ve bought all that and paid your bills you don’t have much left for food; you can’t live like that.”

“I was starving for about a week or so. I didn’t have any food and had really bad anxiety, so I didn’t want to ask for any help.

But it came to the point where I had to.”

Although it’s been difficult for Josh without family support, he is applying for work and hoping to turn his life around.

He said: “When you’re working you feel better in yourself, you feel better when you wake up, when you go to work, and after work. You meet new people and make new friends. It’s just so much better.”

Thankfully, the support Josh needed wasn’t far away and he was referred to his local foodbank: “I was a bit nervous and I was only 16 but when I got to the foodbank the people were really nice.

They sat down with me, we had a chat and they made me feel welcome.”

“The volunteers at the foodbank also try to sort you out with other stuff. Even if they can’t help you directly, they point you in the right direction and try to help you that little bit more.”

Josh hopes things will continue to improve, but after all he’s been through so far he remains apprehensive about his future: “I want a stable home and a working life but I don’t know what the future has in store. I want it to be good but only time will tell, I don’t know what’s around the next corner yet.”

For more real stories visit: www.trusselltrust.org/real-stories

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A safe haven during summer The new school term is now underway, and we were pleased to see that during the summer break Holiday Clubs across the country provided many families with fun-filled days and the opportunity to have a real break.

Following the pilot of the project in Easter, which saw five clubs being run, another 21 were put on during the summer holidays, supporting around 600 people. The clubs tackle hunger and isolation issues by offering nutritious meals, fun activities and opportunities to meet other families in the neighbourhood.

Catherine, the coordinator at the Lisburn Foodbank Holiday Club describes how this project helps to reduce the stress felt by working parents on limited budgets:

“There are a lot of families attending who have been struggling, because normally the school would provide a free meal each day.”

So when planning the hot meals for the clubs, Catherine explains that they kept the parents in mind: “We’ve focused the meals to be healthy and nutritious, but also [only require ingredients] that can be bought on a budget so it can make your money stretch further.”

She continues: “A lot of parents have said that this was really helpful to give them ideas of what they could cook for their children at home.”

But food isn’t the only benefit of the Holiday Clubs: “As well as getting a hot meal, it’s a safe environment for children to play in,” explains Catherine.

“It’s also a great opportunity for parents to get a bit of a rest and chat with other people in similar situations, so it’s a really good benefit for the families all-round.”

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For Georgina, mother of four-yearold twins, it was the opportunity to bond with her children that attracted her to the club: “What appealed to me was that I could stay with the children and help them. It also allowed them to mix with other children and help them to make friendships.”

Children were entertained with a range of fun activities, such as face painting, arts and crafts, African drumming and smoothie making.

Ten-year-old, Olivia told us:

“It was really fun, if the Holiday Club hadn’t been running I would have sat in the house for the summer.

The thing I enjoyed the most were the games and if it ran again I would definitely come.”

By reaching out to their local communities, some foodbanks were also able to offer extra treats as part of their clubs, like books, school supplies and cinema tickets. And for the Southwark Foodbank Holiday Club, their highlight of the summer was being able to take 50 children and 25 adults on a trip to London Zoo, thanks to a donation of tickets from their local Rotary Club.

Georgina found out about her local Holiday Club through her children’s school and is grateful that it was running

this summer to help her entertain her kids. “The club has been very helpful for us,” she admits. “One of my children is being assessed for special needs at the moment, so it’s difficult to give both of them as much time as they need.”

Catherine is thrilled with the positive response to the club from parents and children: “It’s been a huge success.

Families found it really useful; they’ve enjoyed the variety of activities and had lots of fun, so we’re hoping to run it again next summer. There are definitely more families who could benefit from it and is something that we would like to run more often.”

We are delighted to see that these clubs were there to support many families this summer and we were overwhelmed with the support you gave to our Summer Appeal.

With your help we raised an incredible £19,000, which will help us run more projects like Holiday Clubs and continue making a difference to more people.

For more information about our More Than Food projects visit: www.trusselltrust.org/more-than-food

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Serving the community in Northern Ireland “We’re here to inspire people; it’s acts of kindness that help people in everyday life.”

From clothing banks to gyms to wood workshops; we explore some of the innovative ways our Northern Ireland Foodbanks are encouraging empowerment and employability.

CLOTHES BANK WearHouse is one of the projects running alongside Causeway Foodbank, helping to tackle poverty on the Causeway coast.

“We are here to provide clothing to anyone who needs help with it.”

Melanie, foodbank coordinator explains: “A team of volunteers come and sort through the clothes, we wash them and make them as good as possible to give to people who need help.”

The project began when they were exploring how else they could serve their community: “We were engaging with women fleeing domestic violence who had left in the middle of the night with nothing but what they were wearing, so our clothing bank developed from there.”

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wood WORKSHOP

GYM

Causeway Foodbank’s wood work project The Link, invites people of all backgrounds to get involved with volunteering in a structured environment that provides them with support and skills.

The community gym is one of the social enterprise initiatives generating income to support charitable projects like Ballymena Foodbank.

Gym manager Estelle saw using fitness as a tool to bring everybody together.

She told us:

“Our gym is not really for the beautiful but more for the broken.”

“We’re here for the people who come here; we love them and we encourage them. We want them to leave differently than when they came in; we want to build them up inside and make them the best version that they can be.”

But Estelle acknowledges how the project would not be as successful as it is without their volunteers: “They give up their time and have a passion for fitness and people.

We are one amazing team together.”

Project Manager, John, explains: “I’m really passionate to see people on the journey through their difficulties and start living a positive life again.”

And he’s delighted to have seen many people’s lives transformed through the Link project, ready to return to employment.

“We’re making an impact in people’s lives by giving them skills and the ability to continue their life journey again. It melts my heart to know that our project works.”

To find out more about how The Trussell Trust encourages social enterprises visit: www.trusselltrust.org/ social-enterprises

Contact us Unit 9, Ashfield Trading Estate, Ashfield Road, Salisbury SP2 7HL

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enquiries@trusselltrust.org

facebook.com/trusselltrust

01722 580 180

www.trusselltrust.org The Trussell Trust is a charity founded on Christian principles that partners with local communities to combat poverty in the UK. Registered Charity in England & Wales (1110522) and Scotland (SC044246).

Registered Limited Company in England & Wales (5434524).

Photography credits: Alexandra Smart, Clare Mutch, Eric McCowat, Mark Elling, Neil Emery, Steve Pritchard and Games Centre.