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foods banks are abused i know a family that uses this charitable service .. both him and her always have a fag in there hand . and a spliff to smoke .

Yes , there is. This is one of the reasons Im interested in having a thread about how banks work. Food banks are a brilliant idea , but in order for the maximum number of people to give,(most people have an inbuilt sense of fairplay) I think they need to be seen to be strictly giving only to the very needy. Easy to say, but how exactly do we achieve this? What ideas are around on here that could be useful in achieving that goal? Is it solvable?

See Venice that is what I think I was trying to say ( I tend to type drivel when I think at the same time lol )

How do they decide who "needs" the help the most? If you can afford to buy cigarettes then why can't you afford to buy food? I always do my food shopping first after paying the bills and then if anything is left, half goes into a pot for emergencies through the week, the rest we use to buy treats such as choccy or ice cream for the kids or to maybe put extra electric etc in.

It worries me that people who put luxuries and non essential items before food will take advantage of the food banks xx

How it works...... taken from link Rudebox posted.

How a foodbank works
Food is donated
Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to the foodbank. All food given out by foodbanks is donated.

‘Supermarket Collections’ are one of the main ways that food is donated: These are food drives held at supermarkets where volunteers give shoppers a ‘foodbank shopping list’ and ask them to buy an extra item or two for local people in crisis.

Food is sorted and stored
Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need.

Frontline care professionals identify people in need
Care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers, CAB and police identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher.

Clients receive food
Foodbank clients bring their voucher to a foodbank centre where it can be redeemed for three days emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a cup of tea or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem.


Just one point I feel should be raised, is the pre Christmas drive for donations at supermarkets around Wirral, I think they may have also been for sending abroard. Hence the toothbrushes,soap, shampoo etc. Which in it's own way is quite acceptable, so hopefully the figures quoted are not relating completely, to the need of Wirral residents.

Is this the same Aarons cafe thats opening on hoylake road by the Bidston pub and if so does anyone know when he will be opening and whats going to go on there to help the needy of the area. Because i'm not sure just how opening a cafe to the public helps the homeless or anyone but the owner... sorry cynical i know. but maybe someone can explain it too me in simple terms.