A shocking snapshot of Britain: The small town where more than 50 families rely on free food handouts so they don't starve

A shocking snapshot of Britain: The small town where more than 50 families rely on free food handouts so they don't starve

 

• As hundreds more lose their jobs, food bank is running short

• Charity parcels intended for Romania and Bulgaria redirected to local people

A charity which sends food parcels to impoverished Eastern Europe has had to redirect some of its aid nearer home – to the South West of England.

More than 200 people a week are picking up ‘basic foodstuffs’ such as cereals and tinned goods from a help centre at a Baptist church in Okehampton, Devon.

The crisis arose after the closure of three factories, leaving 350 workers redundant.

 

Helping hands: Okehampton town councillor Kay Bickley and mayor Michael Morse with food donations for the growing number of families in the town struggling to survive

 

Many are living below the poverty line as they wait to qualify for benefits, which can take five weeks or longer.

The Food Bank is part of the national charity the Trussle Trust, which usually helps starving families in Romania and Bulgaria.

It was set up by town councillor Kay Bickley, who is now seeing 50 new families a week seeking help and described it as a ‘tragic situation’.

She said: ‘There has been a huge rise in people needing short-term help.

Idyllic Devon: But the tranquil centre of Okehampton conceals the underlying hardship which is hitting the town

 

Dramatic Dartmoor: Rowtor near Okehampton, the perfect place for those seeking peace, but people in the town are forced to live on handouts

‘The people of Okehampton have pride and want to work but circumstances have led a lot of families into a devastating situation, which we are trying to help with. It takes a lot of courage to admit you are struggling financially and we don’t want people to feel stigmatised.

Worried: Councillor Mike Davies, who said: 'How are people going to live? There is a mood of genuine fear'

‘A lot of the time when people come in they see their old friends from the factory floor and it can actually have quite a real community feel.’

Okehampton, on the outskirts of Dartmoor, has a population of around 7,000, more than 700 of whom are now unemployed.

This year the Robert Wiseman milk factory closed, along with Browne’s Chocolates and Polestar desserts, resulting in the loss of over 350 jobs. One of the factories had not paid its employees for a fortnight.

Under the Food Bank system, authorities such as doctors, housing officers, social services and the Citizens Advice Bureau hand out vouchers to those needing food.

Each voucher entitles the holder to one box, which varies depending on the size of the family.

Mike Davies, another organiser, said: ‘For many people in this town at the moment there is simply no money coming in. How are they going to pay the rent or the  mortgage? How are they going to live? There is a mood of genuine fear.’

The charity relies on donations from supermarkets, schools, businesses and individuals … and is desperate for more.

Helper Andrew Morgan added: ‘We are still appealing for food. It is desperately needed – some staff made redundant hadn’t been paid for weeks.

‘There really are people with no money and they really can’t put food on the table.’ Mary and Nick Wonnacott live in Okehampton and both worked for Polestar for more than 15 years before losing their jobs last month.

 

Historic town: The medieval ruins of Okehampton Castle, a short walk from the town centre - but Okehampton is now blighted by unemployment

They described the food bank as a ‘godsend’ without which they could not have managed.

Mrs Wonnacott said: ‘We’ve had four weeks where we’ve had to manage with no income at all, so this has been a wonderful boon for us.