Members of Castle Street’s congregation are going to be fasting this Lent, joining many others around the country in solidarity with the hungry. We’ll also be applying pressure on the government to take hunger seriously.
In the UK there has been an explosive rise in hunger. Ten million people in the UK live in poverty; 3.5 million are children. 500,000 people rely on food aid.
The reason: Food prices are rising while benefits are being cut, sometimes for the most vulnerable in society. What’s more, further cuts to benefits are on the way.
No one should go hungry, certainly no one in a wealthy country like ours, yet the need for food banks is increasing at an alarming rate. We want to push the debate on food banks.
We would like to see:
- A robust welfare system which provides a robust last line of defence against hunger in Britain.
- Work that pays enough for working people to properly provide for their families.
- Functioning food markets promoting long term, sustainable and healthy diets with no one profiteering off hunger in Britain.
End Hunger Fast is a campaign supported by the Trussell Trust, Church Action Poverty, the Quakers and Just Fair.