Food banks around the UK work tirelessly to help alleviate food poverty. Alice Ball rolls up her sleeves to find out what they — and those who rely on them — need to keep going
In reality, an estimated 13 million people in the UK live below the poverty line. 1 Many of us have donated to a food bank, but what happens to our contributions beyond the supermarket collection bins and harvest festivals?
The food banks
Eastleigh Basics Bank in Hampshire has provided food for 13,806 people since it was set up six years ago and relies upon a team of 20 volunteers to open twice a week. I’m expecting a dull and shabby building, shelves stocked with a nostalgic display of tinned sardines, soup and rice pudding. But instead, visitors are seated comfortably on sofas whilst their food boxes are prepared, and in the back room there are fresh vegetables, pastries, and a crate of baking potatoes on the centre table. Several volunteers greet me with smiles and handshakes, ushering me inside for a hot drink. I learn my first lesson about food banks: they do more than just provide emergency food; they are a place for the community. As one volunteer tells me, anybody can drop by for a “hot drink and a natter”, regardless of whether they are in need of food.
Denne historien er fra Winter 2017/18-utgaven av Optimum Nutrition.
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Denne historien er fra Winter 2017/18-utgaven av Optimum Nutrition.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Summer Of
Summer is when we want to be out and about, as the warm embrace of the sofa on a cold winter’s night becomes a distant memory. So where do you go when the brain is willing but the body just can’t cut it at the same level of performance that it managed decades ago? Graeme Wilcockson reviews a few ways to satisfy those competitive weekend instincts that will tax both mind and body — yet leave you able to move on Monday morning
Common Kitchen Practices Making Us Sick
Every year, thousands of us fall sick from food poisoning because of how we have handled food. Louise Scodie and Louise Wates look at common ways in which we are going wrong
Could Antioxidants Save Our Bacan?
Nitrates and nitrites have long been linked to cancer. We look at how they are part of a chain reaction that may not always be harmful to human health... So what’s the case with bacon?
Eat For A Glow That Is More Than Skin Deep
Now that summer is here, it’s time to peel off the layers and make some vitamin D. But if your skin isn’t as peachy as you would like, or if you are worried about staying safe in the sun, find out how good nutrition may support your skin’s health. Maggie Charlesworth writes
Natural Beauty
If headlines about microbeads from cosmetics polluting our seas have got you wondering how you can do your bit for the environment, try using nature’s harvest to feed your skin. Hannah Maryse Robinson writes
A Summer Selection Of Goods And Goodies
Lazy Vegan frozen Chunky Pulled Peaz is a gluten-free, plant-based protein source suitable for vegans and — with a substantial texture — flexitarians.
Do Something Different
As many of us are concerned about keeping our brains active, Ellie Smith investigates whether trying something completely new could boost both our brain health and mental wellbeing
Lifting Weights, Lifting Confidence
When Bianca Mills was bullied at school she could not have dreamt that she would be able to speak in front of a group of women, let alone coach them in lifting free weights. She told Louise Wates why she believes buddying-up is just as important as physical strength for fostering confidence
Teaching Children How To Forage
Catherine Morgan finds out how foraging can teach children (and adults) about more than nature’s store cupboard, and can foster an understanding of and respect for the environment.
Keep Calm And Curry On
In August, India celebrates the anniversary of Indian Independence, yet the Anglo-Indian community, a legacy of the British Raj with its roots in European and Indian ancestry, still treads the cultural line between both communities. Jenny Mallin, author of A Grandmother’s Legacy, tells us about the fusion food in her family and recipes passed down through the generations