Working Group set-up to tackle hunger in Powys

by Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A working group has been set up to investigate the issue of hunger in Powys.

Back in July at the full council meeting Powys County Councillors backed a motion that was put forward by Labour group leader, Cllr Mathew Dorrance (Brecon St John).

The purpose was to:

Establish a lead member role with responsibility for delivering food justice.

Work with community groups and partners to set up a food partnership – a non-profit organisation helping people learn to cook, eat a healthy diet, grow their own food and waste less food.

Task scrutiny to investigate the extent of the issue in Powys and what can be done to tackle it.

At the Economy, Residents, Communities and Governance Scrutiny Committee on Monday, November 25, the councillors were asked how to go about investigating the issue.

Cllr Mathew Dorrance, who is also the committee chair, said: “Members will recall that council tasked scrutiny to investigate the extent of hunger in Powys.

“Now I’d like to set up that workstream, essentially it’s about setting up a working group to do this.

“I envisage we will be talking to partners in the third sector, food clubs, lunch clubs and talking to councillors who know what’s happening in their local community.”

At the full council meeting in July it was suggested that PCC anti-poverty champion, Cllr Joy Jones (non-aligned – Newtown East) be nominated as a possible lead member with responsibility of delivering food justice.

Cllr Dorrance continued: “I also think it’s worth inviting Joy Jones to be part of this, she was seen as the food justice champion following that motion.”

Cllr Dorrance added that the working group would report back to the committee.

“It will be cabinet’s job to establish an action plan for address hunger or food poverty and it’s our job to work out the scale of it and how PCC can help mitigate it,” said Cllr Dorrance.”

Cllr Jones told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that foodbank use in Newtown is already higher this year than last year.

CllrJones added that funding was needed to help councillors investigate and address the issues or “no change” would happen.

The motion noted:

·         According to the United Nations (UN) there are eight million people in the UK who have trouble putting food on the table.

·         More than 500,000 people used foodbanks in the UK last year

·         The Trussell Trust alone, distributed more than 1.3 million three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis in the 2017/18 financial year.

·         Three million children are at risk of hunger in the school holidays.

·         Up to one million people live in a food desert in the UK which means; neighbourhoods where poverty, poor public transport and a lack of big supermarkets severely limit access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables

·         A significant amount of NHS budget goes on treating diabetes

The council further noted the UK Government’s commitment to the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals, commits government to ending hunger by 2030.