Somerset food bank sees more than 100 families as cost of living bites
Radstock Food Club in Somerset now regularly helps more than 100 families, with volunteers distributing surplus food and reporting less stigma around seeking help.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A Somerset food bank has said it now regularly supports more than 100 families, as the cost of living crisis continues to affect local communities. Radstock Food Club, which runs from Radstock Library every Friday, has seen a steady rise in demand.
The club distributes surplus food collected from supermarkets and suppliers, including fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, items for young people, and even pet food. Volunteers say they serve a wide range of people, from young families to older people with carers.
One volunteer noted that there is less stigma around using food clubs now, with more people coming forward. A parent described the difficulty of affording healthy food, as cheaper junk food is more accessible but less nutritious.
The situation in Somerset reflects a wider trend across the West and the UK. New research highlighted in other reports shows that summer is a particularly difficult time for many families, with children off school and food bills rising. Around one in five households are struggling financially, and more than half of parents report extra financial pressure during the school holidays.
In south London, a charity food service has seen demand rise while donations fall during the summer. They use spare ingredients from the food industry to provide free food bags. A worker said families are having to choose between buying food and paying rent or bills.
The Radstock Food Club is just one example of how communities are responding. As one volunteer said, it is important because children should not have to go without food, and parents who work hard should not struggle to feed their kids.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| 20% of households are struggling financially this summer. | · | |
| A food club in Radstock regularly helps more than 100 families. | · | |
| Around three quarters of parents spend at least an extra £20 a week on food during the summer holidays. | · | |
| Demand for food charity services rises while donations fall during the summer holidays. | · | |
| Over half of parents report increased financial pressure during the summer break. | · | |
| Stigma around using food clubs has decreased. | · | |
| The food club distributes surplus food from supermarkets and suppliers. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC focused on the specific situation of Radstock Food Club in Somerset, highlighting its role in the community, the range of people it serves, and the reduction in stigma around using food clubs. It used direct interviews with volunteers and a parent to give a local, human perspective.
- “being able to provide this for everybody really does make a big difference”
- “I'd definitely say there's less stigma now, there's more people doing it therefore people are less worried.”
- “we get a lot of young families, young parents with young children. We get a really wide range, we get older people with their carers coming, we get families with teenagers.”
ITV approached the story from a national angle, focusing on the extra financial pressure of summer on families, with research showing one in five households struggling. It featured a holiday club in Manchester and a food service in south London, and stressed the rise in demand and fall in donations during the summer holidays.
- “summer should be a time to relish not dread but increased outgoings mean that while most look forward to a holiday many others find it hard even to afford a trip to the supermarket”
- “families are struggling they're having to think about do i buy a meal do i pay my rent do i pay my electricity bill my water bill it's really really tough out there at the moment”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.