Guarantee our essentials: Our next campaign action

Over the past 18 months, we have been supporting Trussell Trust’s national campaign, Guarantee Our Essentials. This initiative aims to ensure that the basic rate of Universal Credit is sufficient to meet the cost of living, preventing vulnerable individuals from relying on food banks for their basic needs.

When the campaign launched, we rallied our community – food bank clients, volunteers, partner organisations, and members of the public – to sign a petition advocating for an increase in Universal Credit. The response was overwhelming, with the petition amassing an impressive 150,661 signatures nationally.

As part of our ongoing efforts, this summer, we are excited to introduce a new mobilisation action: ‘Laying It All Out on the Table.’ This initiative invites community members to share their experiences by writing down the statistics and personal stories that illustrate the harsh realities of financial hardship on tablecloths. These tablecloths will be collected from all food banks within the Trussell Trust network and used to create a powerful, collective narrative that underscores the urgent need for Universal Credit to cover the cost of essentials.

Starting in mid-August, we will host these tablecloth sessions during our food bank sessions as well as make plans to take them into the wider community. We encourage everyone to participate, engage with our campaigns team, and contribute your thoughts and stories. Together, we can build a compelling case for why it is crucial for party leaders to support the Guarantee Our Essentials campaign.

Stay tuned for more details and get involved in making a difference in our community! Please email Eniola on [email protected] to get involved or find out more.

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