Islamic Relief UK and The Felix Project join hands to help struggling families through the cost of living crisis

On Friday January 20, Islamic Relief UK partnered with The Felix Project to distribute hundreds of essential meals to vulnerable families in London. 

The new year continues to see the cost of living crisis pushing families into poverty and London has seen an alarming rise in food insecurity and the need for financial assistance, fuelling the need for food banks across the capital.

Islamic Relief UK will continue to support the most affected through food banks, mosques and other organisations but are calling on the UK government to ensure people have adequate incomes to cover the essentials.

A new report by The Resolution Foundation finds that there are large increases in people unable to afford essentials compared to the pre-pandemic period. In November 2022, 28 per cent (up from 9 per cent pre-pandemic) of adults say that they could not afford to eat balanced meals, and 11 per cent or 6 million adults (up from 5 per cent pre-pandemic) reported being hungry in the past month but they didn’t eat as they lacked enough money to buy food.

These very alarming outcomes are more common among groups known to experience disadvantage. This includes low-income families, those suffering from domestic abuse, the homeless, asylum seekers and refugees who were already struggling to feed themselves.

Many families in London have been hit hard by the pandemic and suffered a cold Winter of choosing whether to heat or eat. 

To help some of the most vulnerable, meals will be prepared by staff and volunteers before delivery to locations across the city.  

The food packs will contain essential items such as bread, pasta, tea, biscuits, oil, sugar and more. 

Charlotte Hill OBE, CEO at The Felix Project, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Islamic Relief UK to deliver these vital packs. The community organisations we supply are seeing huge increases in demand – many of them have more than doubled the number of people they help and the need is likely to get worse again this year. Clearly more must be done to help those experiencing poverty and hardship and ensure everyone can afford to eat.”

Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK said: “Food banks are not a sustainable or dignified way to help people who are struggling to survive because they do not have a sufficient or reliable income. We will continue to support the most vulnerable through our programmes, but food banks should not exist in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.”

“The current cost of living crisis has revealed just how much the UK’s benefits system is failing to support those on the lowest incomes. Only long-term structural change will give people the best chance of escaping poverty and living with dignity.

“The UK government must do more to deal with the immediate impacts of the cost of living crisis, but also undertake a fundamental review of the UK’s social security system with a view to ensuring benefits provide people with an adequate income to cover their essential needs.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors

For any questions or to request to interview one of our spokespeople, please contact:

Saeedah Haque [email protected] 020 3148 3217

About The Felix Project

The Felix Project is a London-based food redistribution charity set up in 2016. 

About Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way.

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people all over the world. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.