Archbishop Barry-Morgan
The Archbishop of Wales and two other Welsh bishops are joining faith leaders across the UK in a call to the Government to act fast on the rising food crisis.
Their call comes as new figures released today (April 16) show nearly a million people accessed food aid last year in the UK, including nearly 80,000 in Wales – the highest numbers on record.
Archbishop Barry Morgan, the Bishop of St Asaph, Dr Gregory Cameron, and the Bishop of Bangor, Andy John, have co-signed a letter with nearly 40 other bishops and more than 500 clergy as part o the End Hunger Fast campaign. It marks the biggest ever faith leader intervention on UK food poverty in modern times.
The statistics out today are from the Trussell Trust which runs much of the UK network of food banks and are the highest they have recorded. The number of people seeking food aid in Wales has more than doubled since the previous year.
The letter says the situation is “shocking” and asks the Government to commit fully to the independent inquiry, led by the Bishop of Truro, on the rise of hunger in the UK.
Faith leaders, who are dealing with food poverty on the front line as more and more churches support local foodbanks and credit unions, are growing increasingly concerned at the inaction by the politicians to protect the poorest and most vulnerable in society. The Government has yet to act on the original letter, signed by 27 bishops at the start of Lent, or even acknowledge the 70,000 strong End UK Hunger petition, delivered to Downing Street last month ahead of the Budget.
To mark the completion of their Easter and Lent fast to draw attention to UK hunger End Hunger Fast supporters are planning a vigil, including speeches and a symbolic breaking of bread outside the Houses of Parliament. It will take place at Old Palace Yard, today at 6pm, Wednesday 16th April on the same day as the Bishops letter is published.
Meanwhile copies of the letter will be delivered to the constituency offices of David Cameron (Witney), Ed Miliband (Doncaster) and Nick Clegg (Sheffield) by three Christian leaders, who have been fasting for 40 days over Easter and Lent. Mansfield Parish Priest Keith Hebden, Grimsby Chaplain Simon Gross and Catholic Missionary Scott Albrect will be joined by local Bishops, vicars and food bank volunteers at their respective hand ins.
The Archbishop said, “It is incredible that in a prosperous country like ours where we are told the economy is improving and house prices are rising, that nearly a million people feel the need to visit foodbanks to feed their families. Surely the mark of a civilised society is how it treats its poorest and most vulnerable people.”
The Bishop of St Asaph,Gregory Cameron, said, “There have been attempts to portray the End Hunger Fast campaign in one form or another as ‘loony lefties attack nasty right’. I don’t want to play party politics with people’s lives. It is demeaning and alarming truth that nearly a million people in this prosperous country have now had to turn to charity hand outs for their basic food needs, and politicians and social security agencies need to take a long hard look at policies and procedures to ask why, and to take steps to improve the situation. End Hunger Fast stands for better work opportunities, less dependency on hand outs, reform of our food distribution networks: this is not political point scoring, it is addressing fundamental questions of well being for our citizens.”
Keith Hebden, End Hunger Fast campaign spokesperson and Mansfield Parish Priest said, “With benefit changes, poverty wages and failing food markets leaving 900,000 people needing food aid Britain has become the hungry man of Europe.
“The Government ignores this call at its peril. I have never before seen religious people so united on an issue and I hope our collective words and prayers reach the ears of politicians who have the power to act.
“All they need now is some courage, faith and compassion and we might just build a society where no-one need go hungry in Britain.”
For more information about the campaign, visit http://endhungerfast.co.uk/
