Across the Royal Borough of Greenwich, people and families are struggling to make ends meet.

Over 14,000 Greenwich residents were forced to turn to us, their local food bank, for emergency support last year. Demand for our services remains high.

Week after week, our incredible volunteers - supported by our small staff team - continue to deliver food parcels to people experiencing food insecurity in our Borough.

But, the cost of food and essential items continues to rise. Right now, Greenwich Foodbank is spending an average of £14,841 per month - more than ever before - to provide and deliver food for local people experiencing food insecurity. This amount includes food expenditure and the direct costs of running, insuring and fuelling our delivery vans.

We are seeking to raise £60,000; the total amount we project we'll spend on food during the next four months.

This is our target, despite very generous donations of food items made by various individuals, groups and companies over the recent Harvest season. Your food donations truly matter - and are appreciated. But it is financial contributions, via this appeal, that will best help Greenwich Foodbank navigate the months ahead.

Your support this winter will provide people in need with more than food. For those in crisis who visit our seven welcome centres across the Borough, we ensure there is a safe space to have a compassionate chat with a volunteer over a hot drink, and the means to seek further support such as financial assistance and mental health services.

Together, we can continue to provide emergency food to those in crisis this winter, whilst building a future free from poverty and food insecurity.

Your donation will help someone in need in Greenwich

Your contributions will help Greenwich residents like Susan*, who recently was made redundant from stable employment. As a single parent, she relied on universal credit whilst she looked for a new full-time job.

Despite having interviews booked for new jobs, the cost of her rent, the cost of living and added expenses to get her children's school supplies meant Susan was really struggling. She was left with no other option than to visit a food bank.

For Susan, Greenwich Foodbank was able to provide so much more than emergency food. We provide a cup of tea, compassionate welcome and practical support, including making a referral to her local affordable food club to help keep her weekly costs down.

What will Greenwich Foodbank do with your donations?

We don’t think anyone in Greenwich should have to face going hungry. Your generous financial contributions will help us to reduce our current expenditure on food, as well as divert funds and capacity towards supporting our guests - people who use our food bank - through this continued cost-of-living crisis.

We are so grateful to those who've donated food and money during autumn. We don't take your support for granted. We're launching this appeal to ensure we can continue to provide the same high level of service and support for those we exist to serve. Thank you.

*We sometimes use models and change the names of the people we support to protect their identity; however all stories are based on true experiences.

All photos: Rosie Oakley