New statistics highlight why we need your help ending hunger in Haverhill this winter 

Shocking new statistics reveal that REACH's Haverhill Foodbank provided 1039 emergency food parcels to people facing hardship between April and September 2024. 384 of these parcels went to children.

Together with food banks in the Trussell community, we have provided more than 1.4 million emergency food parcels across the UK during this time.

Whilst the need for food banks remains extremely high, your support continues to be hugely valuable and vital so that we can be there for people struggling to afford the essentials.

Winter is our busiest time of the year and we can’t let this go on. Will you play your part in ending hunger in and around Haverhill?

Your generous support makes an incredible difference. As we strive to meet the need for our Food, Debt, and Prevention services this winter, we would be incredibly grateful if you could:

Support with food donations:
Donate food/toiletries via our collection points.
Follow our facebook page or check our website to see what items are needed most right now.
Download the BanktheFood app and keep up to date with what we need most as you do your weekly shop.
If you’re hosting any collections or events with local supermarkets, you may also like to share further information here.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletters to keep updated on our needs and current work.

Help us with fundraising
Make a donation at our Tesco Food Collection at Tesco Haverhill on 28th-30th November – card and cash payment methods will be available.
Get in touch by email or on our usual number if you would like to support by fundraising for us – whether that be through a challenge, event or partnership, or to explore further opportunities.
Make a single donation on our website, or give us some stability by giving a small regular donation

Volunteering
Volunteer with us to help across our office, collection points, warehouse, and with campaigning for change.

Campaigning and advocating for change
As part of the Guarantee our Essentials campaign, read and share ‘The Hardship Times’ – a newspaper made up of stories of hope and hardship collected from hundreds of communities across the UK.
Continue having conversations with your friends, family and neighbours about the impossible decisions that people visiting the food bank are facing, the solutions and ways we can end hunger, and how they can play their part in helping us to do this.
Email Rachel Reeves MP about the high cost that comes with the National Insurance changes to charities like REACH.
Hold REACH in your thoughts and join us in praying together for a more just future where no one needs emergency aid to get by and we see a flourishing, thriving and resilient people in our communities.

Thank you for standing together with us.

Your support means that we can make a transformational difference to people facing hardship today, and pave the way for a more hopeful future where everyone can afford the essentials we all need to live.

When everyone plays their part and takes positive action, together we can turn the tide on hunger in and around Haverhill.
 

How will the new Budget affect people facing hardship? 

Like many charities working in the sector for supporting those in financial hardship in our society, we have anxiously awaited the Budget, as we have done with previous administrations, because inevitably within the detail are measures, making up the overall government strategy, which critically affect those experiencing hardship in their lives.
 
With a new administration, its often difficult to know what to expect and what election manifesto statements will mean in the nitty gritty of everyday life. We were, therefore, was very pleased to hear from the Chancellor phrases such as Pounds in Pockets, Wealth Opportunities and Improving Living Standards, all of which REACH has been promoting for a long time!
 
So, what will that mean for local people in need?

The Good
There are a number of measures which we welcome, and are essential for people struggling in the community:
 
National Living Wage is to rise to £12.21 per hour for over 21s - this will set much improved levels of pay for those currently struggling with the cost of living, who are in the lowest paid jobs.

Fair Repayment Rate - for people on Universal Credit - this reduces the level of debt repayments (including, advanced hardship loans or benefit overpayments) people pay on from their standard allowance from 25% to 15%, which will, overall, help 1.2 million households in the UK including a great many within REACH’s local area. These repayments occur when someone is overpaid benefits and have to pay it back, or if they request advanced hardship loans in an emergency situation.

A further One Billion Pound investment into the Household Support Fund - which we know for certain has had positive impact locally and is a real lifeline for many Haverhill families. 

The increase in the unpaid Carer’s Allowance from £151 to £196 per week - will not only facilitate increased family income but also provide better care and support for those who need it. 

The Starting Points
However, we are disappointment that the Budget did not go further in addressing the needs of those for whom daily life has become a growing struggle over recent years, added to by the pandemic, global turmoil and the cost of living crisis which is still with us;

Although the Fair Repayment Rate is a good start towards the affordability of essentials for those on Universal Credits, the measure falls short of what many prominent charities, including REACH, have argued for and that is an essentials guarantee of at least £120 per week. This is something REACH have been campaigning for in partnership with Trussell and The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

With the absence of the Winter Fuel Payment this year - there were no specific announcements for pensioners who may be 'just about managing’. The eligibility criteria for pension credits is so low there are many who will, for sure, be above the threshold and who will miss out and struggle this winter. 
 

REACH’s Engagement & Advocacy Lead, Saffron Carter, said “Of course there is much in the Budget which is positive, and this we expected and applaud, but I have real concerns, knowing the level of hardship within the community, that it does not go far enough to address major causes of this and that some aspects of the Budget may actually have a negative impact”.

The Concerns
In addition to the disappointments, we do have real concerns about the possible negative impact of some other Budget measures :-
 
The increase in Employers’ National Insurance may mean business, reducing total work hours or contributing to pensions rather than wages, all of which would reduce Pounds in Pockets, especially in some major employment sectors in Haverhill. REACH is also worried about the increase in its own payroll costs - money which would be better spent on those it is trying to help. 

The increase in Stamp Duty to 5% for second - rental - properties may deter landlords from buying to rent, thereby reducing an already inadequate rental housing stock for those on low incomes. 
 

Saffron went on to say “Regardless of our satisfaction or otherwise with various aspects of this Budget, it is the task of REACH to keep pressing government for even better measures down the line to bring about a sea-change in our society and deliver the hope which is currently absent in so many lives”.

How REACH is helping to #challengepoverty

REACH expresses concerns for those 'just about managing' ahead of Budget

Pounds in Pockets 

At REACH we regularly come across people who just don't know what is available for them, and assume that they don’t qualify for any additional support.

So this week we've launched a very important awareness campaign, to encourage people who are struggling to take just 15 minutes to find out what financial support they could get!

The campaign involves social media posts, as well as leaflets and posters circulated throughout Haverhill. We're hoping to reach a whole section of people who think that REACH is only there to help those who have reached crisis point. Instead, we're encouraging people who are just about getting by with stretched finances, who may be working, but who might be losing sleep worrying about unexpected bills, to visit one of our Drop-In sessions and see if there is help available that they aren't currently aware of.

The most important message comes from Alice and her husband Fred, who reluctantly got in touch with us and were amazed at how we were able to help:

'Listen, because listening don’t cost anything. And if it's explained to you the way it was explained to us, it's so clear. And what you actually get from it is priceless because it's put us at ease and stopped us stressing about “What if?” and saying “I don’t know what’s going to happen”.

'Instead it was “oh, that was easy”. And REACH is friendly. And there was no harm in just listening to someone and finding out what’s going on.

'It’s what you’re entitled to. Especially if you’ve worked your whole life, because we’ve worked our whole lives and you’re not used to claiming. And I think there’s a lot of people like that!'

Click here to find our more about Drop-In sessions, and about our Pounds in Pockets campaign.