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“Everything is precarious”

Maya Sall talks to Barnet foodbank managers as they struggle to deal with the closure of the borough’s food hub

A row of plastic containers of vegetables in the foreground with foodbank volunteers in the background
Volunteers at one of the borough’s foodbanks – (Credit – Burnt Oak Community Food Bank)

Food insecurity levels are ‘shockingly high’ in Barnet, as foodbanks use reserves to accommodate a shortfall in provisions since the closure of the Barnet Food Hub.

“We’re now operating off a system of Victorian philanthropy,” said Bob Bevil, advocacy and campaign lead for Chipping Barnet Foodbank. He told Barnet Post that since the closure of the food hub, Chipping Barnet Foodbank receives approximately a third less food and has become increasingly reliant on donations.

“Every week we must go out and make up for the losses with our cash reserves”, Bob added. “We’ve gone from something consistent and robust to a lack of any future line of sight.”

The Barnet Food Hub, an initiative managed by voluntary-sector partnership Barnet Together which provided supplies to a network of 17 foodbanks in the borough, closed in September.

It was initially supported by central government funding when it opened during the Covid-19 pandemic but then received follow-on funding from Barnet Council to help tackle the cost-of-living crisis in the borough.

Some foodbank managers told Barnet Post they were frustrated by the lack of consultation before the closure last year. In response, a Barnet Council spokesperson told the Post: “The council was in liaison with Barnet Together (the VCS organisation who coordinated Barnet’s food banks) about withdrawing funding and accepts that it could have done more to consult too with food bank managers.”

Communication aside, foodbank managers understand that the ending of central government funding was the key factor in the hub’s closure but that is no consolation given the practical impact on their services.

“Government support has disappeared, but the people living with food poverty have not,” said Bob. “In 2023, the food hub supplied 6.5 tonnes of fresh food to us – but overnight that’s gone.”

Other organisations, such as St Barnabas Foodbank in North Finchley, have restructured their services. “Even before the closure of the food hub, we were spending about £1,000 a week to ensure we had enough supplies for our users,” said manager Rachel Davidson. “We’ve stopped supplying toiletries and household products, and we’ve had to reduce how frequently we support families.”

Sarah Snell, manager of Dollis Hill Foodbank, says their provisions have been cut in half. All three food banks continue to receive both fresh and store cupboard supplies from food distribution charity Felix, but a lack of drivers and increased demand has decreased the reliability of the service.

“Felix are doing the best they can, but every week we do a little prayer, not certain if they’re coming or not,” Sarah said. “We felt comfortable when the hub was there – now it’s gone, everything is precarious.

“Now, the situation is week to week,” she added, “it’s a shame the hub had to close – it was always said to us that it would be temporary, but we got very comfortable, very quick.”

All three foodbanks supply approximately 300 – 500 people per week and are continuing to see increased demand.

“The cost-of-living crisis hit hard, and it isn’t over,” said Rachel. “Last week we fed 457 people. We’ve had an increase in refugees seeking out help, and families with two working parents.”

The Barnet Food Hub also captured data surrounding emergency food uptake within the borough, alongside acting as a food distribution centre. “The figures were not always totally accurate, but they gave a good snapshot of food insecurity in Barnet,” explained Bob Bevil. “But, in its absence, the magnitude of the challenge isn’t being measured – without that, how can we work towards any solutions?”

The food hub also provided training to foodbanks and their volunteers, providing information on health and safety, grant application procedures and sharing intelligence and best practice.

While other charities are trying to step in to help, they are also currently unable to meet rising demand. Food Bank Aid, a Finchley-based food distribution charity which operates throughout North London, was established during the pandemic, around the same time as the food hub. It supplies 32 foodbanks and has a waiting list of a further 17.

“Since the closure of the food hub, we’ve had an additional couple of Barnet foodbanks sign up to our waitlist,” said CEO Alyson Walsh. “We would love to work with Barnet Council as a way to lessen the waitlist in Barnet, whether that be through funding or access to additional storage space for supplies.”

In response to concerns about the loss of the hub, a Barnet Council spokesperson told the Post: “We recognise the hugely valuable contribution foodbanks have made in supporting residents during the cost-of-living crisis and would like to thank our fantastic partners, Barnet Together, for operating the hub.

“Our support for the food hub was initially made possible by government Covid funding, and we maintained support because of the cost-of-living crisis.”

They added: “Unfortunately, like other local authorities, we continue to face an extremely challenging financial climate. While we were able to support our hub for longer than many other boroughs, we are sadly no longer able to provide funding for its operational costs.

“Moving forward, we will continue to work with local foodbanks and other partners as part of our commitment to reducing poverty and inequality in our borough.

“We recognise that the cost-of-living crisis is not over and are continuing to offer support to our residents. Our benefit calculator has so far helped residents to identify more than £8m in unclaimed benefits, and our Resident Support Fund is available to help those struggling to afford food, energy bills and other living costs.”


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