Eastbourne Foodbank worker speaks to MPs at the Houses of Parliament as part of national campaign

Eastbourne Foodbank was on the panel at the parliamentary launch of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and The Trussell Trust’s Essentials Guarantee campaign.

The Essentials Guarantee campaign lists the minimum amounts an adult needs to afford the essentials. This includes £37 a week for food, £35 for gas and electric and £8 for communications – such as a mobile phone and internet.

Campaigns and communications manager Jess Holliday spoke to the packed committee room, which included Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell, on Monday, March 13.

Jess said: “I was humbled and honoured to be given the opportunity to speak and be on the panel at the parliamentary launch of this very important campaign.”

Jess shared stories from the foodbank’s clients at the launch, which aimed to build a cross-party consensus among MPs to create a stronger social security system and to ensure that everyone can afford the essentials.

The campaign is encouraging each political party to include this pledge in their next election manifesto.

Jess added: “Demand for foodbanks has never been so high. At Eastbourne Foodbank we believe it is not right that so many people are being forced to visit foodbanks but we hold hope the situation can and will change for people living in poverty.

“If each political party could commit to guaranteeing our essentials, the need for foodbanks would hugely decrease. We would be there for crisis and emergency - but we would be able to close the door on such large-scale foodbanks.”

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