It was really nice to see all the stalls under the Cheesemarket today for the Thursday market. Apparently the last time it was done was around forty years ago.
During the opening of the Cheesemarket, I saw our MP Roger Williams in attendance. A couple of days later, I saw his name on a list that was being circulated on Facebook. Last December there was a Labour motion in Parliament to investigate hunger and food poverty in the UK. Roger Williams was one of 294 MPs who voted against an enquiry. Presumably, he followed the whip. I wonder what he'd say to the people who need to use Hay's food bank?
After all, when I first came to Hay it seemed inconceivable that anyone in the UK should need to have handouts of food - and now there's a food bank here. Somebody should be asking why, and holding those responsible for this state of affairs to account.
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I have written to Roger Williams, asking for his comments on the food bank issue. Hopefully, I will be able to share, on your blog, any response he may send.
I overheard that the Hay food bank has not had any claims, True or False?
Hereford Churches food bank saw a dramatic jump in demand compared to last year, although people only used it once.
I don't know the details, because they obviously want to keep it confidential, but yes, I understand there have been claims.
" I don't know the details, because they obviously want to keep it confidential, but yes, I understand there have been claims...."
Surely,if you are running a food bank reliant on food donations,then would it not be wise to disclose the amount of claims? People don't need to know names and addresses,but numbers would help to warrant its existence.
They may do, but I haven't seen the lady I know who is involved in the running of it to ask recently.
So there is now a Big Issue seller and a food bank in Hay on Wye !!
Would that be the Big Issue seller who parks his red minibus( with Bulgarian number plates) at the top of the Brecon Road and then walks into town before pitching up outside Spar??
It is possible to have a vehicle and be homeless/"vulnerably housed" at the same time. We once lived in a shed in a field for nearly two years because we couldn't find anywhere else to live, but we had a Rascal van, which was essential to our survival there.
How many homeless/vulnerably housed people are in Hay on wye?
I would guess there are no Eastern Europeans. Where is this guy travelling from to get to Hay?
How can you arrive in the UK and become a Big Issue seller? Surely there are enough homeless people in this country who would benefit from selling The Big Issue in Hay without the need to "import" them?
There was a talk at last year's Hay Festival about the Big Issue. Basically, anyone who turns up at the offices can be considered to become a Big Issue seller, so he must meet their criteria.
I believe this particular young man comes to Hay because it is a place where people are likely to buy the magazine, and he's the only seller here. On the streets of Cardiff it can get embarrassing; there are so many in a small area.
As Chair of Hay Community Cupboard, the food bank for the Hay area, I can confirm that since we started operating last July we have provided 687 individual meals to people who would have otherwise gone hungry. Our clients have ranged from families with very young children to older people living alone. We distribute donated food to anyone facing crisis or hardship within 9 miles of the town clock. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at the Co-op where we have a collection station. I appreciate that people will question the need for a food bank as it does raise unsettling questions about our society - I'm happy to be able to reassure our donors and supporters that we are putting the food to very good use.
I'm not a spokesperson for Roger Williams, but he has told me that he voted against an enquiry because during the Opposition Day Motion he asked whether the report into Food Banks would be published, and was given the assurance that it would be published, and it has since been published.
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