Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and food banks

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1 Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and food banks There is a large overlap between the needs of food bank users and CAP clients, and through partnership we offer a complete package. By both tackling the short- term need and the root causes of the problem, this effective partnership provides long- term solutions to crisis situations. At present, we are working closely in several ways with food banks in many areas across the country. CAP offers four free, face- to- face services: debt management; financial education; job clubs; and support addressing life- controlling habits. With this range of support available, we are able to help address the challenges faced by food bank users, and they are one of CAP s top referral sources. Additionally, all of CAP s services are run in partnership with local churches, most of which either have strong links with the churches running food banks in their area, or run a food bank as well as a CAP service. And finally, many of our debt help clients require short- term emergency food aid; while their debt management plan is being arranged. Therefore, working together is mutually beneficial and incredibly effective. CAP s services In 2014, CAP helped 12,295 families with unmanageable debt, with 2,534 of these clients becoming debt free in that year alone. CAP has 280 local debt centres, and food banks represent a significant referral source to these. For instance, the Bristol North West CAP Debt Centre receives 30% of their clients from the Bristol North West Trussell Trust foodbank. In addition to this, CAP is also the largest provider of face- to- face adult financial education in the UK, and has recently expanded to tackle the causes of poverty. To this end, CAP now operates 132 CAP Job Clubs and is piloting 22 CAP Release Groups, which address unemployment and life- controlling dependencies respectively. Working with food banks We work with food banks across the UK in a range of ways, including: o Distributing vouchers and food parcels o Training food bank volunteers about CAP s services and how to refer users o Distributing CAP leaflets in food parcels o Running CAP drop- ins during food bank opening hours o Running CAP Debt Centres and food banks in partnership in some churches

2 Current links with food banks We sent out a request to our 280 CAP Debt Centres, asking for details of their engagement with local food banks. We received 54 replies from CAP Debt Centres that are working with a local food bank in some way, but expect the total number to be larger. These responses clearly show how CAP s services and food banks are complementing each other across the country. Of these 54 CAP Debt Centres: o 39 have a close working relationship or are officially partnered with at least one local food bank o 34 give out food bank vouchers to CAP clients, with eight also distributing food parcels directly to clients on home visits, on behalf of the food bank o 46 receive referrals from food banks o 21 have arranged for CAP leaflets to be given out in food parcels o 14 have a regular presence in a local food bank to promote our debt help service to users o One CAP Debt Centre and a couple of CAP Money Churches are also currently taking part in the Martin Lewis More than money trial with the Trussell Trust Predominantly, food banks are operated by faith- based organisations. Therefore, it is not surprising that for 21 respondents, the partner church ran both a CAP Debt Centre and a food bank, and the staff team overlapped in nine cases. Examples Below are examples of the range of ways that CAP is working with local food banks, where this is working well, and some of the complexities of these arrangements. Food bank and CAP Debt Centre partnership In Whitstable, the Churches Together Group run both a food bank and CAP Debt Centre. This means that they have a very close working relationship, and the food bank is able to offer urgent food aid for CAP clients. The CAP Debt Centre Manager has a direct line to the food bank manager, who can organise a food parcel on days when the food bank is not open, and deliver them to CAP clients if necessary. Martin Lewis More than money Trussell Trust trial The Stroud CAP Debt Centre is part of the More than money trial. The CAP team attends the food bank drop- ins, and volunteers ask users if they have any debt issues, advising them that the CAP team is available to talk. The team then chat with food bank users and either make them a debt help appointment, provide them with a self- help pack, or refer them to the local CAB. Before the trial they had not received any referrals from the food bank, and now have seen seven clients through this referral source. The food bank is also really pleased with the results from the trial, and has extended the partnership indefinitely. Multi- agency partnership The Alnwick CAP Debt Centre helped to start the Alnwick District food bank, which is a church- led multi- organisation partnership. It uses CAP, CAB, Surestart and NETS as referral sources, and gives out food parcels via the local Salvation Army shop. A CAP flyer is placed in each food parcel, in order to encourage food bank users to seek debt help if they need it. 2

3 Placing flyers in food parcels The food bank in Yeovil places a CAP leaflet in every food parcel. This allows users to consider and book a debt help appointment from home, where they have more privacy and generally feel safer. This has proved really successful, with some users even passing leaflets onto friends, who they know would benefit from CAP Debt Help. Desk at the food bank Despite developing a strong relationship with their local food bank, the Truro CAP Debt Centre was receiving few referrals, until they started running a desk at the food bank venue. They found that most service users were telling food bank staff that they were not in debt, but when encouraged to talk to CAP staff directly, it was evident that they did need help. This system has proven successful, and over the first two days they booked six food bank users in for a debt help appointment with CAP. CAP drop- in The Midlands National Forest CAP Debt Centre holds a CAP drop- in at a Trussell Trust foodbank in Coalville. As well as having a visible presence and being able to explain to food bank users how CAP can help, existing CAP clients can pop in for a chat and be encouraged on their journey out of debt. It also provides an opportunity to connect with other potential referrers who also attend the food bank, such as the local council and other charities. Multiple food banks Each CAP Debt Centre covers a catchment area made up of several postcodes, and for many there are several different food banks working within that area. For example, there are five food banks in the Leeds South & East CAP Debt Centre catchment area. The centre staff find it difficult to visit all of these on a weekly basis, and instead pop in on a monthly or bi- monthly basis to see the food bank volunteers, and check they have enough CAP leaflets. Providing food aid When Andrew from the Leeds North CAP Debt Centre visits CAP clients, he checks to see if the client has any food in the fridge. If they do not, he offers them food from the Leeds North Trussell Trust foodbank. Around one third of the clients he visits require emergency food aid. Food aid that fits with CAP s model The Blackburn CAP Debt Centre have an agreement with the Blackburn Trussell Trust foodbank for weekly food aid to be provided to clients, inbetween the first CAP Debt Help appointment and the budget visit, after which a debt management plan can be set up. This should only take two to three weeks, but in one instance it took 16, as the client struggled to get the necessary paperwork together. The flexibility of this arrangement with food banks is invaluable to clients who are struggling to resolve their financial difficulty, and will have used up their allotted food parcel allowance, before they are able to overcome the barriers they may be facing. Longer- term food aid The Wye Valley CAP Debt Centre works closely with several local Trussell Trust foodbanks. However, many CAP clients have very low food budgets, and need food aid for longer than they are able to provide. Therefore, they also partner with the Churches Together Food Larder in Ross- on- Wye, to provide weekly food aid to the most needy CAP clients. This includes tinned goods and seasonal fruit and vegetables, grown by the local community garden. The Wye Valley CAP Debt Centre is also able to distribute parcels themselves, to 3

4 clients living in rural areas, or clients that are at work during the Food Larder s opening hours. Providing more than just food There are a couple of food banks in the Welwyn Garden City CAP Debt Centre catchment area. The most effective referral partnership in this area is with an independent food bank, that is particularly welcoming to service users. At this food bank, users choose their own food, are offered refreshments and free clothing from a local charity shop, and there is a children s play area. The welcoming environment means that users feel cared for as individuals, and are more likely tow discuss and accept help for other issues they may be facing. 4

5 List of respondents: CAP debt centre Food bank Alnwick Alnwick District food bank Alton Alton Trussell Trust foodbank Altrincham Ballymena Ballymena Trussell Trust foodbank Bedford Grace Community Church Trussell Trust foodbank Blackburn Blackburn Trussell Trust foodbank Bradford Central Bradford Trussell Trust foodbank in the Light Church Brighton Brighton Trussell Trust foodbank and a local independent food bank Bristol North West Bristol North West Trussell Trust foodbank Bury St Edmunds Vineyard Church food bank and Catholic Trust food bank in association with the Trussell Trust Caernarfon Cambridge North Good Shepherd food bank Chesham Chiltern food bank Coventry Coventry Trussell Trust foodbank Dewsbury Dewsbury Trussell Trust foodbank Egham Egham Trussell Trust foodbank and Manna food bank Fenland Food banks in Chatteris, March and Wisbech Guildford Salvation Army and three north Guildford food bank outlets Hastings and St Leonards Hastings Main food bank at King s Church Highworth Swindon Trussel Trust foodbank Isle of Wight Sandown Isle of Wight food bank Kendal Kendal King s Church food bank Kirkintilloch Kirkintilloch Trussell Trust foodbank Leeds North West Leeds North Trussell Trust foodbank Leeds South and East East Leeds Trussell Trust foodbank Lincoln Lincoln Trussell Trust foodbank Liverpool Bootle Maghull Trussell Trust foodbank London Ealing Local independent food bank Manchester Salford Quays WHBC food bank Manchester South Two local food banks Marchwood and District Totton food bank run by Youth and Families Matter at Testwood Baptist Church and Waterside food bank Market Drayton Trussell Trust foodbank Medway Gillingham Medway food bank Midlands National Forest Coalville Trussell Trust foodbank and Ashby Trussell Trust foodbank Nettleham Two Trussell Trust foodbanks and two Community Larder outlets Norwich Central Poole Poole Faithworks Wessex food bank Rotherham Canklow food bank Rhondda Rhondda food bank Southend- on- sea Trussell Trust foodbank with 6 distribution centres and Shoeburyness Storehouse Stroud Martin Lewis More than money trial with Stroud Trussell Trust foodbank Sunbury ReStore food bank Tameside Stalybridge, Ashton Under Lyme and Dukinfield Trussel Trust foodbank and two independent food banks in Denton and Stalybridge Tipton St Matthews food bank Truro Truro food bank Warrington Warrington Trussell Trust foodbank Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden City Trussell Trust foodbank and an independent food bank Whitstable Whitstable Churches Working Together food bank Winchester Winchester food bank Wye Valley Churches Together Food Larder Yeovil Lord s Larder food bank York York Trussell Trust foodbank 5