Get emergency foodOur work in Wales
We’re working to end the need for food banks in Wales. Find out what we’re doing and how you can get involved.
There are many opportunities to work together with food banks, charities, political parties and government to help realise our vision to end the need for food banks in Wales.
Appalling levels of hunger and hardship in Wales
There are 38 food banks in the Trussell community in Wales, distributing emergency food parcels at 137 food bank centres. Food banks in the Trussell community in Wales distributed close to 83,000 emergency food parcels between April to September 2024. This represents a 42% increase from the same period in 2019.
Children are disproportionally supported by food banks. Over one in three (35%) parcels provided by food banks in the Trussell community between April to September 2024 were for children aged zero to 16. This is despite this age group making up just 18% of the Welsh population. See our latest stats.
A typical week would just be bland. It’s just existing. It’s trying to basically just survive mentally, physically, emotionally and financially.
Our strategy in Wales
People need food banks when they don’t have enough income for the essentials. In Wales, 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.
The need for emergency food in Wales remains close to record levels first and foremost because of a weakened social security system that is unable to protect people from the most severe forms of hardship.
Real change is needed if we are to significantly reduce the number of people experiencing hunger and hardship in Wales. We are calling on the Welsh Government to:
- Set an ambition to end the need for food banks in Wales and introduce a plan to reduce the need for emergency food.
- Ensure resources to tackle hunger and hardship are focused on building a strong social security system and use all available devolved powers to increase incomes.
- Increase provision for cash-first support combined with quality advice for people facing financial crisis.
- Call on the UK government to ensure social security provides enough income for everyone to be able to afford the essentials. The UK government should introduce an Essentials Guarantee, and remove the two-child limit and the benefit cap.
- With Senedd elections in 2026, we want to see all political parties prioritise work to reduce hunger and hardship in Wales.
We want to see a Wales without the need for food banks, where everyone has enough money to afford the essentials. With action, we know change is possible. Until then, food banks across Wales are there to provide emergency food, a cup of tea and support to people facing hunger and hardship.