To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
A foodbank in northwest London says it is facing ‘the longest queues in the country’ after a surge in the number of families seeking help.
Volunteers at the London Community Kitchen say they have recently seen hundreds of people queuing up each week.
Shocking timelapse footage taken at its Wembley project shows one socially-distanced queue snaking through neighbouring streets for more than a mile.
One staff member, Taz Khan, told MyLondon: ‘This is just monstrous. We should be expecting 1,000 people this week.
‘There is no food project in the country doing this, no way is this happening on this scale.
‘People are seriously struggling. 800 families are queuing every single Saturday.’
The 45-year-old, who has been helping out at the centre for seven years, said the lines started shooting up from around 230 over the past three months.
He added: ‘That is every week for us. That’s just the way things are.’
The clip has since gone viral on social media.
More than 300 volunteers have been recruited to help deal with the surge in demand, with 60 staff required to be on hand when the food bank opens each Saturday at 11am.
You can donate to London’s Community Kitchen here.
The video emerged after it was revealed that some NHS workers have been forced to turn to food banks as they struggle to make ends meet on their current pay.
Frontline health staff have dismissed the Government’s proposed 1% pay rise as an ‘insult’ and ‘absolute disgrace’, saying the bump would see them take home around £3.50 extra per week.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.