BLACKBURN foodbank has seen the number of emergency food parcels delivered in the six months from April 1 to September 30 rise from 6,434 in 2021 to 10,542 this year.

The figures were released today by the Trussell Trust which runs the operation.

They revealed that 151,000 food parcels were provided to people across the North-West in the past six months as the cost of living emergency drives people to food banks.

Over that period, more than 41,500 people across the North-West have been forced to turn to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network for the first time The charity is urging the UK government to take immediate action as food banks face ‘breaking point’.

Volunteers are set for busiest winter yet as levels of need outstrip donations.

Blackburn Food Bank delivered 5,971 food parcels for adults and 4,571 for children in the six months from April 1 to September 30 this year.

This is sharply up from 3,658 and 2,776 in the same period in 2021.

The 151,000 emergency food parcels provided to people across the North-West from April until September are 38 per cent more than in the same period in 2021 and a 72 per cent increase compared to five years ago.

In the last six months, across the UK, 320,000 people have been forced to turn to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network for the first time - a 40 per cent increase compared to 2021.

Emma Revie, chief executive of the trust, said: “These new statistics show that, even in summer months, people are struggling to afford the essentials.

“We are expecting that this winter will be the hardest yet for food banks and the people they support.

“We know that with the right support and a stable and sufficient income, people don’t need to turn to food banks for support.

“Over the last few years, the government has acted to protect people who are struggling.

“They must now act again with swift support to help people through the winter, and with vision for the longer-term to ensure that social security is always enough to weather challenging times.

“We are calling for the Prime Minister to act decisively in next week’s budget. "