Taunton Foodbank Reports Continuing High Demand for Emergency Food

• Taunton Foodbank has released its annual statistics for the financial year 2024/2025, revealing continued high demand for emergency food support across the community.
• Between April 2024 and March 2025, the Foodbank fulfilled 3,182 vouchers, just a small decrease compared to last year’s record-breaking total.
• Despite this slight drop, the latest figures mark the second-highest number of vouchers issued in a single year since the Foodbank opened, and usage remains 20% higher than pre-Covid levels.
• The Foodbank vouchers provided 3 days of food for 6,666 individuals which included 2,379 children.

Whilst food poverty remains high in our community donations of food to the Foodbank fell by 10% over the financial year. This has meant the foodbank has needed to buy food to meet the needs of local people struggling to put food on the table.

The reasons for needing to use the Foodbank remain complex and often involve a combination of pressures. The vast majority of clients (80%) rely on the benefit system for some or all of their income.

Key factors reported by clients include:

• Delays and deductions in benefit payments (20%)
• The rising cost of essentials (44%)
• Debt-related issues (20%)
• Challenges linked to physical or mental health conditions (20%)

Sue Weightman, Manager of Taunton Foodbank said:

These figures show that while we may have seen a slight drop from last year’s peak, the need for emergency food remains alarmingly high in our community. We continue to see the impact of rising living costs, benefit system issues, and health-related challenges on people’s ability to afford the basics.

Taunton Foodbank remains a vital resource for many local people experiencing crisis. As the cost of living continues to put pressure on households, the need for emergency food support shows no sign of diminishing.  The Foodbank is calling on the community to continue supporting its work through food donations, fundraising, and volunteer efforts to ensure it can meet the ongoing demand.

Back to News