A CRISIS food bank in Glasgow has revealed how it’s been seeing an increase in users every month recently.

Audrey Flannagan, project manager of Glasgow SE Foodbank, said the first few months of 2022 “were pretty steady”, but since May, the team has seen a 10-15% rise in people needing support each month.

The food bank is one of the Glasgow Times’ partners for this year’s Bank on Us campaign - which is encouraging readers to donate to their local food bank this Christmas.

Glasgow Times:

Audrey said: “We’re seeing more people because of the cost-of-living crisis, definitely. The people who are coming have less than what they had before.

“Money just isn’t going as far as it used to for them.”

The food bank, based at Glasgow Elim Church, operates as a crisis intervention project and has been running for 11 years now.

Audrey was one of four founders.

She said: “Every year we have seen an increase in users. In our first year, we fed 700 people. Last year it was nearly 12,000.

Glasgow Times:

“Our busiest times are always from the end of November until the end of January.

“We’d be really grateful for toiletries and things like diluting juice, coffee, and tea - these are things that we need all the time.

“I think it’s important for us all to understand that if we can help someone out then we should. From our point of view, it’s really important that people donate to us so we can give it out to people who need it. If we don’t exist, people don’t donate.

“But we’re only giving away what other folk are giving us. We’re the middleman if you like, processing it out.”

Glasgow Times:

On Wednesday, November 30, paper bags will be inserted into every copy of the Glasgow Times as part of the Bank on Us campaign.

Readers who are able to donate are being asked to fill the bags and hand them in to one of our partner food banks.

You can drop off donations to Glasgow SE Foodbank at 42 Inglefield Street between 9.30am-2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

For more information and for the full list of participating food banks, please click HERE.

Or to donate to our toy drive which aims to ensure every child across the city wakes up with a present on Christmas morning, please click HERE.