Our work in Scotland
Find out how we’re working to end the need for emergency food provision in Scotland, and how you can get involved.
The distinctive context in Scotland provides a special opportunity to realise our vision to end the need for food banks.
The rising need for food banks in Scotland
There are 43 food banks in the Trussell community in Scotland, distributing parcels at over 144 venues, and in 26 local authorities.
Between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, these food banks distributed 262,400 emergency food parcels, including almost 156,200 parcels for families with children. This is largely unchanged from the record levels of 2022/23, the busiest year ever for our community of food banks.
These figures represent a 21% increase on five years ago and a 20% increase in the number of parcels for children, with an even larger increase seen for families with three or more children (up 28%).
The increase in energy bills tipped my finances over the limit… I’m so worried about the coming winter, I know I don’t dare put my heating on.
Our strategy in Scotland
People need food banks when they don’t have enough income for the essentials. In Scotland, we’re developing a new strategy that includes offering strategic grants to food banks to support their communities and identifying millions in income for people facing financial hardship.
We’ve trialled new approaches that put people with lived experience of hunger and poverty centre stage and secured a commitment from the Scottish Government in May 2021 to develop an action plan to end the need for food banks. This new plan was established in summer 2023.
Everyone in Scotland should be able to afford the essentials – to buy their own food and heat their homes. No one should have to turn to charity for essentials like food, but for as long as they need to Trussell will be there.
More information
Contact us
Find out how you can play a vital and active role in supporting our work:
Email our Corporate Partnerships team