Broomhouse foodbank doing vital work during Coronavirus crisis

An Edinburgh food bank is providing a lifeline for some of the Capital’s most vulnerable residents during the Covid-19 crisis.

Community One-Stop Shop in the Broomhouse area, which operates a non-referral food bank service, has seen the demand rise sharply during the outbreak.

Carol Swan, project manager, Community One-Stop Shop, says: “In March we saw around 300 food bank clients, which was an increase of 43% on the same period last year.

“We are delivering to people who are self-isolating or who are just too anxious to step outside and in place of our holidays support programme for families with school-age children, we have been distributing food packs instead and in some cases we have also been delivering cooked lunches.

‘People are feeling very lonely and isolated and that’s particularly the case for people who are already dealing with mental health issues and with so many support workers now having to work from home, we are filling in the gaps that this has created.”

The project, which also includes advice and employment services, is run by staff and volunteers, and since the lockdown began Carol says they have been inundated with offers of help.

Last year the project received £73,000 from the Scottish Land Fund to expand its operations into two shop units and now the group has received a further £4,512 which it is using to help meet the extra demand for its services.

Carol says: “Without our larger premises we would have been unable to continue operating during this period in a way that was safe for staff and volunteers so we would have had to shut up shop at a time when the need for our service has never been greater.”

The extra money that Community One-Stop shop  has now received  from the Scottish Land Fund is part of a package of £70,000 that has been allocated to a total of 12 shops, food banks and other SLF-funded enterprises across Scotland to allow them to respond to additional demand for their services during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Cabinet Secretary for Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham said: “Through the Scottish Land Fund,  the Scottish Government has supported a number of communities, particularly in rural areas, who have wanted to save their local shop.

“Some of these shops are now playing an important role in distributing food and other essentials to people in need who are not eligible for other support measures

“This volunteer-led activity is especially valuable at this point in time. I’m delighted that the Scottish Land Fund has responded quickly to help communities help themselves and them step up their efforts at this difficult time.”

John Watt, Scottish Land Fund Committee Chair said: “This crisis has highlighted the need for strong communities and the response of local groups has been outstanding.

“Some of these shops and enterprises would not exist if it wasn’t for the support of the Scottish Land Fund yet during this time they have become a lifeline for many people who would otherwise struggle to access the food and other services that they need.”