‘Knowing you don’t have to suffer in silence is huge’ – why MoneyWeek is supporting Trussell this winter
MoneyWeek is supporting Trussell, an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks, for our 2025 Christmas charity appeal
To make a donation, follow the link to the MoneyWeek fundraising page on Trussell’s website.
Millions of people are being left with no option but to turn to food banks because they simply cannot afford food.
More than 14 million people in the UK, including 3.8 million children, faced hunger in the past year due to a lack of money, according to Trussell’s Hunger in the UK report. This represents 16% of UK households, and has risen from 14% in 2022.
“A lot of people are struggling, and it's not localised in one area, it's across every part of our society,” says David Wilson, from Norfolk, who has needed to turn to his local food bank.
David, 46, spent 20 years in financial services, but, living with a degenerative bone condition and a number of other issues, maintaining full-time work became impossible in 2022.
While David qualified for support from the UK benefit system, it simply wasn’t enough to get by.
The food bank provides food parcels, but they also helped with toiletries, as well as other support.
They were “massively helpful,” he says. The team also identified other areas where they might be able to help, putting David in touch with an organisation who could help him get a bed and bedroom furniture for his seven-year-old son.
“It meant everything,” he says. “Knowing that you’re not on your own, that you don’t have to suffer in silence.
“There are other people going through what you're going through, but importantly, there are people out there that will actually give their time to help as well – it’s huge.”
David points out there is a “whole cross section of our society” who need to use food banks.
“Financial poverty is entirely indiscriminate – you don't have to be out of work to be suffering it,” he says.
In 2024, three in ten (30%) people referred to food banks in the Trussell community were in working households.
“You'll get couples who are both working full time, but just need a little bit of help to make ends meet, to have food to feed their family,” David says.
He fears things are getting worse for many people. “The cost of living isn't going down, and people are struggling – whether it's with heating, with food, with clothing, whatever it may be.”
David Wilson said the support from his local food bank "meant everything" to him.
Trussell has also warned of concerning signs that hardship is deepening for people across the UK.
The proportion of households reporting “very low” food insecurity has increased from 6% in 2022 to 8% in 2024 – while the proportion reporting “low” food insecurity remains unchanged at 6%, Trussell said.
Helen Barnard, director of policy, research and impact at Trussell, said: “It isn’t right that millions of people from all walks of life – including pensioners, disabled people, working families, and carers – are struggling to make ends meet. Nobody in the UK should face hunger.”
MoneyWeek visited a food bank to see the vital work that they do – read the piece here.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, food banks in the Trussell community provided 2.9 million emergency food parcels to people facing hardship in the UK, of which more than one million provided for children. This is a 51% increase compared to five years ago in 2019/20 and more than two and a half times (164%) the amount distributed a decade ago in 2014/15.
With one in 14 (7%) households using at least one type of charitable food provisions in the past year – equating to support for 6.5 million people – MoneyWeek is supporting Trussell this winter with our Christmas charity appeal.
MoneyWeek hopes raising funds will help Trussell continue providing vital food and support, including partnerships with local agencies that help address the underlying issues that drive people to need to use the food bank.
MoneyWeek digital editor Kalpana Fitzpatrick said: “Anyone can find themselves in a situation where they may need support from a foodbank and the work Trussell does is vital. We are proud to support the charity and our readers can help too. If you can support Trussell to help feed a family this Christmas, then simply follow the link to donate today.”
To donate to MoneyWeek’s Christmas charity appeal, follow the link to the dedicated page on Trussell’s website.
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Jessica is a financial journalist with extensive experience in digital publishing.
She was previously Digital Finance Editor at GB News and Personal Finance Editor at Express.co.uk. She enjoys writing about savings, pensions and tax, and is passionate about promoting financial education.