Greens welcome decision to grant a lease to Brighton & Hove City Mission.
Work to support the city’s emergency food network has today been given a further endorsement, as councillors agreed to support the granting of a lease in a council-owned building to Brighton & Hove City Mission.
Estimates quoted in a report to councillors showed that at least 6000 people in Brighton & Hove require access to food on a weekly basis. Brighton & Hove City Council continues to offer support to residents through their community hub for food and other essentials. They can be contacted by phone on 01273 293 117.
Brighton & Hove City Mission’s foodbank has been operating in the city for over twenty years and covers the largest geographical area in Brighton & Hove. The new proposed premises will incorporate a café and advice services.
The city council will undertake work to understand the impacts of food poverty on different communities across the city, in particular asylum seekers and refugees.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, Leader of the Council said:
“An astonishing 6,000 people in Brighton & Hove are supported every week accessing food through community emergency food providers such as foodbanks. This, in the sixth richest country in the world, is a damning indictment of over a decade of Tory government.
“In the sight of such unfairness we are rolling up our sleeves and doing all we can to help residents in need. We’ll provide a new home for City Mission which is one of the key frontline organisations helping with emergency food and doing this through leasing one of our buildings to them. This is one of the many things we are doing to support residents most at need to challenge the inequalities created by the Government’s failure to deal with the cost-of-living crisis.”