Cost of living crisis: Portsmouth foodbanks, larders and pantries are here to help with the cost of living crisis this winter

As the cost of living crisis continues through the winter, it is anticipated that costs will keep rising, causing concern for thousands of residents across the city, who are worried about where their next meal is going to come from.

The ongoing campaign, which has been launched by Portsmouth City Council and is being supported by The News, aims to provide people who may be struggling with information and resources that could help them financially.

Since the cost of living has seen prices soar, food banks, pantries and larders have experienced a surge in the number of people needing to use the free facilities.

Jim Campbell runs Southsea’s Friday Fridge, which opens its doors every Friday evening, between 8pm to 10pm, to offer people a hot meal for free.

He said that after the pandemic, the fridge saw more people attend the weekly dinner but that the cost-of-living crisis has seen an influx of people who are desperate for a hot meal.

Jim said: ‘We have seen a massive growth in the numbers during the pandemic and that returned to normal but pretty much since one or two months ago it has been growing quickly.

‘We are to the point where we are now looking to get extra chairs and tables because we are seeing about 40 people every week and 40 people a week was a busy night for us but now that is just normal.’

The team, based at St Jude's Church, Kent Road, is also looking to extend its services to a second site to accommodate the high numbers of people who need help.

The fridge offers people a warm, safe place to go to have a hot meal and socialise somewhere where there ‘are no strings attached’, and the only thing that the volunteers ask for is a name so they know who is in the building at one time.

Usually the food that is on offer consists of toasties and bacon sandwiches, and the team get their funds from donations, both monetary and food.

He added: ‘Portsmouth is very good at feeding people. There is something on every single day of the week and there is a link on the Portsmouth City Council’s website which tells you all of the places in Portsmouth that you can go. I would say go to them. Don’t feel too proud to not go, they are run by lovely people who want to help others and we just want to share with people and help them through a really horrible time at the moment.’

Mark Sage, Portsmouth City Council’s tackling poverty co-ordinator, said: ‘Unfortunately, people are not using as much energy as they to use because they can’t afford which means people are cooking less and using less heating, which is negatively impacting them.

‘I think the key thing is that people knowing that there is some help available and know where to look for it and then share that information to their friends.’

The Portsmouth City Council's recent Big Portsmouth Survey, which surveyed 1,760 respondents, found that 93 per cent of people have seen a difference since the cost of living, and 97 per cent of whom said that their response was due to the increase of their food shop.

North End Pantry and Portsea Pantry are just two other places in the city that continue to offer support for people that are struggling to feed themselves due to the surging costs.

SEE ALSO: Cost-of-living crisis: Where to find help in Portsmouth as city council launches campaign to make sure nobody is left behind

Jo Green, one of the managers at North End Pantry, said: ‘When we first opened, we helped 39 people each week, 18 months later and we have seen a 310 per cent increase so we are probably doing 39 a day.’

The pantry currently helps people in the PO2 and PO3 area, and has recently set up a community kitchen which takes place on Mondays from 6pm to 7pm, where people can have a hot dinner for £1 and children go free.

Jo said: ‘Numbers have increased since word has got out. It is getting busier and busier and it is quite a nice way to do it because we have managed to get contacts through the church so a Chinese lady came last week and did Chinese food for everyone.’

The pantry currently charges £4 per time and people are then entitled to 10 items of their choice, as well as extras including fruit, vegetables and bakery items, and there are also toiletries available.

Jo added: ‘We don’t want people having to chose between having a shower or having a meal.’

Gina Perryman, who works with the Portsea Pantry, said that not only do people get help with securing food, but the team also tend to signpost places that offers other types of support.

Gina said: ‘You get to know people that come along, and then you might realise that they aren’t getting what they are entitled to. I spend a lot of my days filling out attendance allowance forms to help older people that are just living off of their pensions but are entitled to more.’

The pantry also helps parents get school uniforms for their children at a lower cost or free of charge.

Annie Keeping, community worker and food bank co-ordinator for Caring Hands foodbank, said that rather than seeing an increase in referrals, people are needing support for longer.

She said: ‘Everyone is working well together. I think as a city, we are very well equipped. We deal well with an increase in numbers and we always seem to work well together.’

Portsmouth City Council has set up a new online cost of living help hub at www.portsmouth.gov.uk/costofliving and anyone who prefers to speak to someone can call the new dedicated cost of living helpline on 023 9284 1047 and the council's friendly customer service team will help you find the support needed.