Jon Bellamy spoke with Jeremy Ravn

Jeremy: Well there are two issues there. One is, does the welfare state work and does it work promptly and quickly enough. Anybody who's been made unemployed knows Jobseekers allowance takes weeks and weeks to come through. Anybody who has a change in their family circumstances knows that their benefits change and while they change their benefits often stop completely. The crisis loan telephone system is just overwhelmed and doesn't work. So people can actually be waiting for days if not weeks to get money to which they are legally entitled. Now arguably we shouldn't be filling the gap; but we are because otherwise people do go hungry, and they start shoplifting or have other disasters happen in their families. So that's one lot of people. The other situation is where people on low income have a large and unexpected bill and they have to make difficult choices between paying bills and eating. We're there to help them in that time of crisis.

Jonathan: Fantastic. Finally if anybody listening happens to be in an area that you are giving food parcels, how do they get in touch with you? Do they go to you direct or do they have to go through other organisations?

Jeremy: If they can't find one of the front line care organisations who hold our vouchers, they can give us a ring. There's a number on our website, and we'll direct them to where it's most appropriate to go to. But for example in most of the places in where we're working, all the front line care professionals hold vouchers; and they can talk to them about their situation and they should be able to help them with the food voucher too. Failing that you know they can give us a ring and we can direct them to the most appropriate agency to do that. We have to do that really just to make sure that people are in some kind of system so that they can get further help to resolve their problems.

Jonathan: If anyone listening wants to set up a Food Bank in their city or region, I presume the details are on your website as well?

Jeremy: Absolutely. Go to our website www.trusselltrust.org and find us, or give us a call on 01722 411244. Thanks for that.

Jonathan: Thank you Jeremy. Very good to talk to you and well done for such a great initiative.

Jeremy: Thank you and God bless you.