Dad-of-three turns to food bank after job loss

A single dad-of-three said he was forced to move in with his parents and rely on a food bank when “things just went downhill quick” after losing his job.

Luke Harborne worked as a roofer up until December but admitted he did not know what he would do if he had no access to Worcester’s food bank.

“I don’t know what would happen, I really don’t,” the 30-year-old said.

“The people here are absolutely brilliant, they’re such lovely people and all of them have a heart of gold to do what they do.”

Mr Harborne had been in shared accommodation in Kingstanding, Birmingham, but when he became unemployed, he fell behind with his rent payments and lived on the streets before his parents in Worcester took him in.

“My mum and dad agreed to let me live back there but I’m just struggling at the minute,” he said.

“It’s very, very tough [providing for three children]. It’s hard to survive off benefits, it really is.”

Mr Harborne said he was even struggling while he was employed.

“I managed to cope with the wages I had coming in but all my money was going on rent and bills,” he said.

“The rest went on food but that didn’t last me until my next payday.

“I need to get myself back in employment and I am actively looking but it’s tough because I have to work around child arrangements so it’s hard to commit to a full-time job.

“You need a really good job, that pays really well just to get a one-bedroom flat. But I will get there. It’s just hard to survive.”

At the food bank, Grahame Lucas said he worked to “turn frowns upside down”.

“It’s a bit corny, I know, but people come here perhaps not feeling the most positive but they walk away with a smile on their face,” he added.

Mr Lucas has been manager of Worcester Foodbank since 2014 and said in that time the charity has “grown out of all recognition”.

“We started out feeding about 3,000 people a year and prior to Covid up to about 9,000 people and now we’re up to 18,000 people,” he said.

“We’re now braced for the autumn rush, when people start getting their energy bills on the doormat. This is by far the busiest period.”

Mr Lucas and his team provide about 250,000 meals annually, at a cost of £500,000.

The service also provides “cooking parcels”, which include herbs and spices, as well as a toiletries hamper too.

“Clients have said to us that we’re lifesavers and without us people have admitted they would be forced to shoplift just to survive,” Mr Lucas said.

Mr Lucas said the charity had served “all age groups” which “goes right through to people who are retired”.

“That group is much less because, what we find, the state pension system works well – whereas the benefits system is still deficient,” he said.

“I think the system is broken.”

The food bank manager said he sympathised with government and described changing the system as an “oil tanker moment” that would be a “long-term project”.

Susan Campbell, deputy warehouse manager at Worcester Foodbank, is responsible for greeting clients.

“The stories are really sad and you want to do more than just give them food,” she said.

“You hear all sorts and you just try to make them feel better about the whole thing.”

She added the numbers coming to them have “got much, much worse” and they were seeing more and more families.

“People tend to assume we’re serving the homeless but it’s just not true,” Ms Campbell said.

“Lots of people that come here are working and they just can’t afford to live.”

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson told the BBC it was “determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence”.

They added: “Our child poverty taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy later this year.

“We are also overhauling job centres and reforming the broken welfare system to support people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.”