'There are more food banks than Greggs or McDonalds – they're not the answer'

At Malling Food Bank, in Lewes, volunteer co-coordinator Anna Scott is explaining why she wants to end food banks. “I’ve been there myself,” the 53-year-old equine therapist says, simply. “I was a single mum with four children and I needed the help but I didn’t access it. I couldn’t. I felt real shame, so I didn’t come – I missed out when I should have accessed the support. It’s not just me – I’ve had grown men in tears, sitting outside in a car, broken down, ashamed to come in. That’s one of the things that is motivating me to do this. We need to change things.’’ It may sound like a contradiction, but on National Food Bank Day, Malling Food Bank is just one of hundreds of organisations pledging to become Food Bank Free. And Anna is among those campaigning for ‘food bank-free’ Britain. “We’re in the process of changing from being a traditional food bank to a community cafe and community supermarket that offers users choice,” Anna explains. “We’re still discussing the fee but there will be a small charge – and anyone struggling to pay won’t need to.” Under the new system, clients will be able to visit a weekly supermarket session and take their pick of food items, making their own selections – then visit a free cafe for hot drinks and food. “This will be a big change for our community, but we have been consulting with our clients all along,” Anna explains. “The fact that we have food banks at all is an indictment of our society.” Today a week of collective action starts across the UK, challenging the food bank model that was originally an emergency sticking plaster for a failed welfare state. The UK’s first food bank opened in Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2000 to help struggling local families. But during the harsh Tory Austerity years following the banking crisis, the economic shocks of Brexit, Covid, and now a deepening cost-of-living crisis, demand for help has rocketed. There are now more than 3,000 food banks providing support across the UK, run by Trussell – formerly the Trussell Trust – and other independent charities. Trussell alone gave out 2.6 million emergency food parcels in 2025 – up from 1.1 million in 2015 – with disabled users accounting for 74% of referrals.But even the biggest food bank provider says it shouldn’t exist. “We exist so everyone in the UK can be free from hunger,” Trussell’s mission statement says. “We work together to ensure no one needs a food bank to survive.” Now, some campaigners are marking National Food Bank day by calling for an end to food banks. “Food banks were only ever meant to be a temporary measure to support people in crisis,” says Stef Lake, a spokesperson for the Food Bank Free Britain campaign. “But now there are more food banks than there are Greggs or McDonalds outlets. “There has been an incredible effort from volunteers across the UK for years – people who have come together to ensure that people in their community don't go hungry. But this is not sustainable. Having to rely on emergency food aid strips people of their dignity and profoundly affects their wellbeing. It takes its toll on volunteers too.” Mr Lake adds: “Food banks are not an inevitable response to poverty – there are other, more dignified solutions like hardship grants for people in crisis, specialist support which builds resilience and open access community food projects like cafes and kitchens. We have spoken with hundreds of people across the UK who work or volunteer at, or access emergency food aid… many of us believe that food banks are not an inevitable response to poverty. Food banks are a choice, and one that has its roots in stigma and a mistrust of people living in poverty.” Jo Lang, 62, lives in Peacehaven, East Sussex, and began using the local food bank after losing her partner left her homeless and in crisis. “I want to use my experiences to help us do things better for other people,” Jo told us. “I remember how it felt to go in there for the first time. Queuing up, the feeling that you’ve failed. I worked all my life, paid tax but when I needed help it felt awful. I was scared. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. One Christmas, the service was closed so we were given vouchers we could use and I can’t tell you how good that felt – to be able to go to Asda and just browse the shelves, to choose what I wanted, to feel normal again. I want everyone to have that, which is why I’d like to see a food bank free Britain – where we put more thought into finding ways to support people, to make it easier to get help and to make the process more dignified for everyone.” The Peacehaven Community Supermarket is using a different model to traditional food banks. Users donate £3 a week if they can, and then select the items they need, with extra deals available ad hoc – six eggs for £1 and a box of washing pods for £1. Volunteer Louise Mathieson, 62, has used the service in the past. A former carer, who now survives on a limited benefits income, she understands the need for extra support - and says traditional models can prevent people getting help. “A lot of people will not go to food banks if they need to be referred as they feel it’s degrading,” Louise says. “People feel there is shame in coming here, like they’re a burden, but we want people to feel valued, like they’re part of something, a community. No-one is a burden. It’s taken a while but people are starting to get comfy now, their smiles say it all. We’ve got lots of working people coming here to top up. We live in a world where there can be two people employed and there isn’t enough to cover bills or put food on the table. “We want to deliver the help in a way that doesn’t make people feel that they’re not valued. We see people start to flourish here when we do.” Nicola, 51, whose named has been changed, and used the service in the past, adds: “People already feel low – we don’t want them to feel lower when they come here.” Nicola has mobility issues and is awaiting an operation. “Here, it’s about boosting people’s mental health at the same time as providing them with what they need,” she says. “We remind people this isn’t their fault, that they haven’t done anything wrong, that it’s the system that isn’t working.” As Anna explains: “People often to say to us, ‘beggars can’t be choosers’ and I say, ‘absolutely not! - you have every right to choose, to decide what is best for you’.”