Agenda item

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Beca Brown will propose as follows:-

“With the cost of living rising sharply and people and families often having to choose between eating or heating, there is more demand than ever before on the services of local food banks and food schemes.  According to FareShare Cymru, there were four food schemes in North Wales before the pandemic, but that figure is expected to rise to approximately 40 by April this year.

Local voluntary groups must pay an annual membership fee to receive food from schemes such as FareShare and, during lockdown, Welsh Government funded the first year of membership only.

However, after the first year, local food schemes must find the money to pay their own membership fee, which can be approximately £3,000 a year.

We call upon Welsh Government to commit to funding 70% of the cost of food (i.e. the membership fee of FareShare or similar distribution schemes) for a period of 5 years in order to protect these local food schemes which provide a crucial service to people and families at a time of great hardship.”

With the cost of living rising sharply and people and families often having to choose between eating or heating, there is more demand than even before on the services of local food banks and food schemes.  According to FareShare Cymru, there were four food schemes in North Wales before the pandemic, but that figure is expected to rise to approximately 40 by April this year.

Local voluntary groups must pay an annual membership fee to receive food from schemes such as FareShare and, during lockdown, Welsh Government funded the first year of membership only.

However, after the first year, local food schemes must find the money to pay their own membership fee, which can be approximately £3,000 a year.

We call upon Welsh Government to commit to funding 70% of the cost of food (i.e. the membership fee of FareShare or similar distribution schemes) for a period of 5 years in order to protect these local food schemes which provide a crucial service to people and families at a time of great hardship.

(A)      Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Beca Brown, in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution and it was seconded:-

"With the cost of living rising sharply and people and families often having to choose between eating or heating, there is more demand than even before on the services of local food banks and food schemes.  According to FareShare Cymru, there were four food schemes in North Wales before the pandemic, but that figure is expected to rise to approximately 40 by April this year.

Local voluntary groups must pay an annual membership fee to receive food from schemes such as FareShare and, during lockdown, Welsh Government funded the first year of membership only.

However, after the first year, local food schemes must find the money to pay their own membership fee, which can be approximately £3,000 a year.

We call upon Welsh Government to commit to funding 70% of the cost of food (i.e. the membership fee of FareShare or similar distribution schemes) for a period of 5 years in order to protect these local food schemes which provide a crucial service to people and families at a time of great hardship."

The member set out the context to her motion, noting that:-

·           As FareShare delivered surplus food, that would otherwise be thrown out, that the scheme not only provided necessary support to people in need, but also contributed to reducing food waste.

·           That the substantial increase in the number of food schemes in North Wales had happened before the cost of living crisis had really struck, and who knows how many food schemes would arise across the county and the rest of the country in another year.

·           Although the money received from Welsh Government to fund the first year's membership in the FareShare scheme was greatly appreciated, having assurance that 70% of the membership money had been paid by the Government for a five-year period, whilst people faced the double challenge of finding their feet after the pandemic and dealing with the cost of living crisis, would take the stress and anxiety off food schemes of having to think where the money would come from.   This, in turn, would give assurance to the people who received the food that this essential service would not end abruptly.

Due to a glitch in the audio during her presentation, the proposer was asked to send a written copy to the members after the meeting.

Members expressed support to the proposal and noted:-

·         That the Councillors for Bangor and Plaid Cymru Bangor volunteers supported the food scheme established by Councillor Steve Collings, and that he had introduced the idea of FareShare in Bangor.

·         That the motion was praiseworthy and ensured that vulnerable people and people in need received the food they needed, and addressed social inequality.   It also helped to save the planet and was a way of reducing waste.

·         That it was important that schemes like this were known to everyone across the county as the need in rural areas such as Meirionnydd was as great as that in the largest towns.  It was required to obtain Government support to this, and a plea was made for any scheme to be implemented across the county.

·         All the volunteers in Bethesda who collected food from the supermarkets were thanked.

·         Although the motion was supported, it was outrageous that people were reliant on food banks in the twenty-first century, and it was noted that this again was an example of how the system was broken and unfit for purpose.

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-

"With the cost of living rising sharply and people and families often having to choose between eating or heating, there is more demand than even before on the services of local food banks and food schemes.  According to FareShare Cymru, there were four food schemes in North Wales before the pandemic, but that figure is expected to rise to approximately 40 by April this year.

Local voluntary groups must pay an annual membership fee to receive food from schemes such as FareShare and, during lockdown, Welsh Government funded the first year of membership only.

However, after the first year, local food schemes must find the money to pay their own membership fee, which can be approximately £3,000 a year.

We call upon Welsh Government to commit to funding 70% of the cost of food (i.e. the membership fee of FareShare or similar distribution schemes) for a period of 5 years in order to protect these local food schemes which provide a crucial service to people and families at a time of great hardship."