‘Food banks are a lifeline, but they must be a way out, not a way of life’

Let me start with a disclaimer: I run a charity that operates a food bank. That’s right—conflict of interest. But my aim, and the aim of any responsible food bank, is not to make ourselves indispensable. Quite the opposite. Food banks should be a temporary solution for people in crisis; a bridge to better days, not a destination. Yet, as demand for food banks rises and the challenges they face multiply, it’s clear that we need to rethink how they operate if we truly want to tackle food poverty.

The rising cost of living has seen more families turning to food banks than ever before. At The Parish Trust’s CARE Project, we saw an increase in usage of nearly 8.5% in 2024 compared with 2023.

Other food banks both locally and nationally will have seen an upward trend in use over the last year as well. But at the same time, food banks themselves are struggling to keep shelves stocked as the price of essentials soars. Staple items like pasta and tinned goods, once in steady supply, are harder to come by, and the pool of donations from businesses and the public is being stretched thinner and thinner. This isn’t helped by the growing number of small community initiatives or well-meaning individuals handing out food without any kind of referral system. While their efforts are commendable, this fragmented approach can dilute the resources of more established food banks and risks creating a cycle of dependency rather than a pathway out of poverty.

This is where the lack of regulation becomes an issue. Food banks in the UK are not subject to any formal oversight. The closest thing to regulation is recognition by networks like The Trussell Trust, which operates on a referral basis, or IFAN (the Independent Food Aid Network), which supports independent food banks and requires those independent food banks to have a referral system before being received into membership. These organisations promote best practices, but participation is voluntary. This means that not all food banks operate with robust governance or accountability, and it leaves the door open to inefficiencies, or worse, abuse of the system.

At The Parish Trust, we work hard to ensure that food aid is not just about filling bellies but about tackling the causes of poverty. We offer a range of support services alongside food provision, including signposting to debt advice, volunteering opportunities, apprenticeships, and even bereavement support. Our Bag a Bargain scheme allows families to move from receiving free food to purchasing low-cost groceries, giving them greater dignity and independence. This isn’t about asking intrusive questions or turning people away, but about making sure they get the right help to rebuild their lives. I could tell you a whole host of stories of lives transformed through our work, and many incredible stories like a woman who came with a car full of food to give to us. We thought she was just being kind, but we later found out that she’d paid for all that food out of her first pay packet after a period of unemployment due to being made redundant. She’d been a service user of the CARE Project for six months prior to getting her job.

Partnerships and referral systems are critical to giving holistic support. Poverty is rarely just about food. It’s often tangled up with issues like mental health, unemployment, housing instability, and even domestic or financial abuse. Food banks that work with other specialist organisations can ensure people access the full range of support they need. But this only works when resources are used strategically. Without a consistent, joined-up approach, food aid risks becoming a sticking plaster; helpful in the short term but unable to address the underlying problems.

This is why I worry about initiatives that “don’t ask questions.” They may seem compassionate, but they often bypass the structures that help people move out of poverty. The intentions are good, but the reality is that these schemes can inadvertently encourage reliance and stretch limited resources even further. Meanwhile, the people who genuinely need help may miss out on the long-term support they require.

It’s worth noting that someone quite famous once said, “The poor you will always have with you.” It’s a sobering reality, and while eradicating food banks is a noble dream, I don’t believe they will ever truly go away. Instead, the challenge is to ensure that food banks are part of the solution – not just to food poverty, but to poverty itself. That means equipping them with the tools, partnerships, and governance to help people move forward, rather than keeping them stuck in survival mode.

Food banks are under more pressure than ever, and they’re not going away anytime soon. But if they’re to remain effective, they need to do more than hand out tins. We need food banks with a clear purpose: to provide emergency relief while creating pathways out of poverty. That means supporting those with proper governance, robust referral systems, and partnerships that tackle the root causes of hardship.

It’s tempting to idealise the idea of food banks as purely charitable and unconditional. But true compassion isn’t just about giving; it’s about equipping people for the future. If we want to live in a society where food banks are no longer needed, we must start by ensuring they fulfil their original purpose; not just to feed people, but to free people too.

Rev Dean Aaron Roberts is the CEO of The Parish Trust, a growing charity based in Caerphilly, and oversees one of the largest food banks in the county. A former vicar in the area and now a chaplain with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Dean is dedicated to supporting local communities through practical help and holistic care, tackling poverty and empowering people to thrive.

More information: www.theparishtrust.org.uk