Stevenson Meets Peterhead Foodbank Staff

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson paid a visit to the Peterhead Foodbank earlier this week to see the facility and meet with the staff.

Mr Stevenson was invited along by Aberdeenshire North Foodbanks and brought with him a donation for the foodbank.

Commenting after his visit, Mr Stevenson said:

“This was a very useful visit to meet the team of volunteers who staff the Peterhead Foodbank and hear from them at first hand of their experiences.

“The volunteers provide a very valuable service for the most vulnerable sectors of our society at their time of greatest need. Local supermarkets and businesses have been very receptive to these needs and have been very generous with their donations - as have local organisations and individuals.

“The selection of suitable products for distribution is another key factor, and the Foodbank can provide a list of these. Consideration must be given to the fact that some clients may have very limited cooking facilities, and many of their 'stock' items require simple heating or the addition of boiling water.”

Mr Stevenson continued:

“Last week, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights visited the UK to investigate the impact of austerity, and has reported on the effects of the UK Government’s failing efforts to tackle poverty in the UK, the impact of austerity measures, welfare cuts, Universal Credit, and Brexit.

“The fact that foodbank use is growing across Scotland is a clearly damning indictment of UK Government cuts to welfare, and the botched roll-out of Universal Credit. In Scotland, it truly is a case of ‘poverty amongst plenty’.”