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Election candidates pledge support to end the need for food banks in Lichfield

29th April 2021

Lichfield foodbank has received pledges of support from candidates ahead of the County Council elections on May 6.

Letters were sent to all candidates asking them to pledge to work with Lichfield foodbank and help deliver our ‘exit plan’ for ending the need for emergency food aid in Lichfield by 2025.

In the year ended 31st March 2021, Lichfield foodbank provided food for nearly 4750 individuals in Lichfield and the surrounding area – that’s an average of over 90 people every week who could not afford to feed themselves – just under half of them were children.

Lichfield foodbank Chairman, David Clarke, said:

“This shouldn’t be happening in any city in a country as wealthy as the UK!”

“Food banks are a ‘sticking plaster’ over the real issues causing poverty and destitution.  Everyone is entitled to the dignity of being able to buy their own food, having sufficient money to pay their essential bills.  We don’t want people in our city to need a food bank by 2025, and we will work with statutory, voluntary, community, faith and political groups across the spectrum to make this happen – and to make ourselves redundant.”

“I would like to thank those candidates (below) who have already pledged their support and hope that they, along with the rest of the community, can come together and make a difference for all the people who will – for now – continue to need our services.”

  • Kathy Coe, MBE (Lab), Miles Trent (LibDem), Stephen Sanders (Green), David Whatton (Lab) – Lichfield North division
  • Ann Laura Hughes (Lab), Hugh Ashton (LibDem), Paul Ecclestone-Brown (Green) – Lichfield South division
  • Paul McDermott (LibDem), Simon Partridge (Green) – Lichfield Rural North division
  • Mark Pritchard (Lab) – Lichfield Rural West division

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