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New Midlothian council cost of living task force aims to offer food bank alternative

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date29 June 2022
Councillors approved the setting up of the new team to work with local groups to find ways to help people cope with the rising prices and provide practical support

And they said dignity and respect would be central to its work with aims to find ways to help people without the need to visit foodbanks.

Council leader Kelly Parry led a motion to set up the new task force at a Midlothian council meeting yesterday. (TUES)

She said: "The current cost of living crisis, inflationary pressures and households struggling is sadly a theme of the day

"It is incumbent on all of us to make sure we do whatever we can to help no matter what level of government and while we have had some funding from UK and Scottish Government sources which is welcomed they don't go far enough."

Councillor Parry acknowledged the 'huge amount of work' carried out by council workers and third sector charities and groups to help with the crisis but said they had their own challenges and barriers.

She said "Declining donations to foodbanks are a trend at the moment but we do have rising demand and we have charities and organisations that are struggling with rising energy costs.

"This task force would give the crisis the same focus we give to other committees and is the right thing to do.

"It gives us the governance that it needs to get on with the job, for example, making recommendations to council."

Councillor Derek Milligan seconded the motion saying "It is deadly important here that the word dignity in the cost of living crisis is kept all the time.

"Whilst food banks are a necessary evil in this day and age and the quicker they are not needed the better, asking people to trot down to a foodbank to bring messages home to their family just really isn't the way so I would...

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