Food crisis is now chronic - a harsh reality for many families

It's going to take all of us to support the 14.1 million people facing hunger, says Steve Clay, CEO of Cambridge City Foodbank

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On September 10, Trussell published its latest Hunger in the UK report, which revealed that, tragically, 14.1 million people were food insecure in 2024.

Furthermore, 6.5 million people had to turn to charitable food providers and one in six households experienced food insecurity.

Imagine, for a moment, the street you live on. Now ask yourself the question, is it right that behind one of every six front doors is someone experiencing hunger?

In an economy such as the UK's, why is it a reality that there are parents skipping meals to feed their children and families with little to nothing in their fridges?

This is a fact of life in 2025. Vast numbers of individuals and families have had their incomes squeezed beyond their means, leaving them with no choice but to turn to charitable food providers such as ours.

The high cost of living has transcended from crisis to chronic and, across the past 12 months alone, we have distributed over 17,000 three-day emergency food parcels.

As CEO of a charity that provides food to people facing hunger, I must be honest and state that we find ourselves in a precarious position.