In the first of two posts, Sarah Fullick introduces Trussell, explains why data is so important to them and introduces Trussell’s mission beyond foodbanks.
Who are Trussell?
At Trussell, we believe in a UK without the need for food banks. Yet, as people on the lowest incomes continue to struggle to pay for the essentials, our community of food banks continues to provide vital support to people facing hunger and hardship.
But our work goes beyond emergency food provision. We are committed to understanding the root causes of hunger and hardship in the UK – and using this knowledge and evidence to advocate for systemic changes in policy, services and practice.
Central to this work is our large-scale research into hunger in the UK, and our biannual release of Trussell food bank data, which combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore both the need for food banks and their use, both within and beyond our community of food banks.
Why data matters to Trussell
Data is the foundation of everything we do.
It helps us understand the scale of the problem, identify trends, uncover the stories behind the statistics, and provide sustainable solutions to tackling hunger and hardship. To effectively address hunger and hardship in the UK, it is essential that we gain a comprehensive picture of both the need for food banks and who currently turns to them for support.
This dual focus is critical, because it allows us to see not only who is drawing on the support of food banks, but also who may be at greatest risk of needing to turn to a food bank to survive.
Our research and data highlight the stark reality of people who are experiencing hunger and hardship – enabling us to develop solutions that can start to turn back this tide.
Our end-of-year statistics highlight the number of emergency food parcels distributed, key demographics of people who need to turn to a food bank to survive, and the reasons for referrals (e.g., benefit delays, low income).
These figures illustrate the growing numbers of people forced to turn to our food banks, with the number of parcels distributed remaining stubbornly high.
But these numbers are more than just figures – they represent individuals and families facing impossible choices between heating their homes, putting food on the table, or paying their rent.
Larger version of image | Accessible version of data
Beyond Trussell’s community of food banks
While our community of food banks provides a crucial lifeline, we know that many people turn to independent food banks and other community food organisations for support. Understanding the use of charitable food providers beyond our community of food banks is essential to capturing the full extent of food insecurity in the UK.
By collaborating with independent food banks and other stakeholders, we can build a more complete picture – and ensure that no one is left behind in our efforts to tackle hunger and hardship.
Our Hunger in the UK research extends even further, collaborating with broader charity food providers and other organisations to gather information about the wider population, showing how many people face hunger but do not draw on any form of charitable food support.
We collect extensive quantitative and qualitative data from food bank users and the general public, integrating our administrative data with external sources.
This comprehensive approach helps us understand the wider causes and drivers of food bank need, enabling us to shape impactful policy recommendations and drive systemic change effectively.
In part two later this week, Sarah will explore how research brings Trussell’s data to life, how Trussell uses data to drive change and looks further ahead.
About the Author
Sarah Fullick is Head of Impact and Evidence at Trussell.
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