Glasgow foodbank that feeds thousands of families every month runs out of food

The only thing that is left on the shelves of Gowanbank Hub in Pollok is dried pasta, beans, rice and jars of sauce. 

Directors say that demand at the emergency facility is so high that any goods that come through the doors are “flying straight back off the shelves again”. 

Billy Coull, who is the organisation’s co-director, said: “Our service users can’t eat dried pasta on its own, it isn’t enough to provide a nutritional meal. That’s all we have left.

“There are no tinned meats left and we can’t store anything because it is coming in and going straight back out.

“The turnover is so fast because of the demand we are dealing with.”

The scarce situation has left organisers unsure of the emergency provision’s future as it struggles to keep up with food parcel requests.

“Our position is that we don’t know if we will have to close our doors or not,” said Billy. 

“We used the emergency food service to bring people in to try and help change their lives – the food is the hook to show that they do not have nothing and that help is there.

It is the hook to getting people on the right path again.”

Pressure is mounting at the facility, with volunteers expecting to help even more people in need by autumn when the £20 per week boost to Universal Credit is reversed. 

The £20 weekly uplift was introduced last March at the start of the pandemic, however Chancellor Rishi Sunak stressed it was “intended to be a temporary measure” to help those struggling in lockdown. 

Billy said: “It will be another blow for them. People use that money to buy food for their kids and for bills. It will be a struggle for them to live without it. It is going to push people even further and further into the poverty trap.”

The support service – that also offers clothes and financial advice to those in need – normally receives donations from Morrisons, Tesco and the His Church Charity.
Donations have, however, started to slow down. 

An urgent appeal has been launched by the directors, who are pleading with the public to help out. 

Billy said: “We recognise that there are people out there in the same position needing food and that it needs to be shared equally. 

“We aren’t in a position like other organisations to stock food because of the demand that we have. We have the facility and the room to store large quantities of food, but we simply can’t because of how fast it is coming and going. 

“When we first started, we didn’t expect the number of service users to increase so quickly. 

“It is not the case that people are coming to us because the food is free, they are coming because they have fallen into unforeseen situations and they are stuck and need help. We are asking for food donations. They can be dropped off and we will always show where the goods are going.”

Gowanbank Hub was launched last year by a parent council group at Gowanbank Primary School after it identified a need for food and further support in the area. 

After realising the wider community needed help, directors moved the facility into a larger premises on Peat Road.

Since its launch, 38,000 meals have been handed out while 15,000 individuals have been helped with benefits and financial advice. 

Those who wish to make a food donation can do so by dropping off goods at the facility on 415A-415B Peat Road, G53 6SG.

Otherwise, cash donations can be made on an online fundraiser at gofundme.com/f/Thegowanbankhub