Brighton councillor reopens food bank from her own home

Bridget Fishleigh, the city’s only elected independent councillor, first opened the food bank from her home office during the pandemic to help families in her Rottingdean Coastal ward.

However, she is now relaunching it after requests from a local school and the council as residents struggle with the cost of living crisis.

She said: “I’m really sad to be re-opening the food bank for people who live in Saltdean, Rottingdean and Ovingdean.

“One of the primary schools in the area told me that children were coming in hungry and that parents can’t afford to feed them.”

Cllr Fisleigh said that the region was poorly served by food banks, with people being forced to travel closer to the city centre for support.

“Rottingdean, Saltdean and Ovingdean are not served by any of the central food banks, so people who haven’t got enough money can’t afford to spend £5 on a bus to a food bank in the city,” she said.

Charities, including Rottingdean and Saltdean Lions and the Saltdean Community Association, have contributed to the food bank to help buy initial supplies to support residents.

Recent findings from the city’s Emergency Food Network found that more than 5,000 people in the city turned to the network every week over the past year, with more than 3,000 people returning regularly.

However, food banks also reported a more than two-thirds drop in money and food donations over the same period.

Helen Starr-Keddle from the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, which convenes the Emergency Food Network, said: “Beleaguered community projects run on donations and led by volunteers are being left to pick up the pieces of government’s failings.

“Day in and day out, they are supporting people of all ages and backgrounds at risk of malnutrition, homelessness, poor educational attainment, and mental and physical health breakdown.

“The costs of preventing this are less than the costs of the consequences.”