We Love Sausage Rolls*
Last Christmas there was a new number 1, in support of Trussell Trust Food Banks
Apparently there was a headline out yesterday which stated that people going to Food Banks are not getting a balanced diet.
Shock! Horrror!
Seriously? Dear Reader, if people are in need of Food Bank assistance they have a lot more problems than not getting a balanced diet.
And as I've written before - Food Banks? In one of the richest countries in the world? In the 21st century?
A country which has a Welfare State of which we have been justly proud, and has been the envy of countries lacking such thoughtful provision, for the past seventy-three years. 73!
What is more, the number of people using foodbanks is on the increase year on year.
A few statistics:
Around fourteen million people in the UK are living in poverty. 14,000,000 Real People. People like us
Around four million of them are children. 4,100,000. That's almost one in three children.
So if you have two children and you are managing ok, there's another child whose family isn't.
And in a class of thirty children, as many as nine of them will be 'in poverty'.
Of course this is an average. In some schools all thirty children and their families will be fine. In other schools it'll be nearer twenty or more of them who won't be.
And if things continue as they are, that figure is set to go up to more than five million children living in poverty. 5,200,000.
In the next two years.
And dealing with that is being left to Charity.
Well, at least the Trussell Trust won't be subject to Government cuts 'because we don't have sufficient funds available'!
All the same, in one of the richest countries in the world. In the 21st century. Is this acceptable?
As I mentioned in a previous entry - if enough "just lil' ol' me"s write to our Coucils and MPs, maybe, just maybe, they'll realise that even if they don't care, enough of the rest of us do to make it worth their while to actually at least be seen to apparently be a little concerned about this situation. Maybe enough do some joined-up thinking and put something really worth having in place.
And if the Labour Party could get it's collective asses in gear sufficiently to stop fighting each other and start looking like a remotely credible Opposition in Government, maybe they might have a real chance at forming a government the next time round (2024/5-ish.)
Not that a Labour government would solve things, but it might at least have the ethics, principles and political will to do something worthwhile.
Heigh ho, better go compose some letters and send them.
Y'all enjoy your sausage rolls*!
*Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options are available.
Click to viewApparently there was a headline out yesterday which stated that people going to Food Banks are not getting a balanced diet.
Shock! Horrror!
Seriously? Dear Reader, if people are in need of Food Bank assistance they have a lot more problems than not getting a balanced diet.
And as I've written before - Food Banks? In one of the richest countries in the world? In the 21st century?
A country which has a Welfare State of which we have been justly proud, and has been the envy of countries lacking such thoughtful provision, for the past seventy-three years. 73!
What is more, the number of people using foodbanks is on the increase year on year.
A few statistics:
Around fourteen million people in the UK are living in poverty. 14,000,000 Real People. People like us
Around four million of them are children. 4,100,000. That's almost one in three children.
So if you have two children and you are managing ok, there's another child whose family isn't.
And in a class of thirty children, as many as nine of them will be 'in poverty'.
Of course this is an average. In some schools all thirty children and their families will be fine. In other schools it'll be nearer twenty or more of them who won't be.
And if things continue as they are, that figure is set to go up to more than five million children living in poverty. 5,200,000.
In the next two years.
And dealing with that is being left to Charity.
Well, at least the Trussell Trust won't be subject to Government cuts 'because we don't have sufficient funds available'!
All the same, in one of the richest countries in the world. In the 21st century. Is this acceptable?
As I mentioned in a previous entry - if enough "just lil' ol' me"s write to our Coucils and MPs, maybe, just maybe, they'll realise that even if they don't care, enough of the rest of us do to make it worth their while to actually at least be seen to apparently be a little concerned about this situation. Maybe enough do some joined-up thinking and put something really worth having in place.
And if the Labour Party could get it's collective asses in gear sufficiently to stop fighting each other and start looking like a remotely credible Opposition in Government, maybe they might have a real chance at forming a government the next time round (2024/5-ish.)
Not that a Labour government would solve things, but it might at least have the ethics, principles and political will to do something worthwhile.
Heigh ho, better go compose some letters and send them.
Y'all enjoy your sausage rolls*!
*Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free options are available.