Kersiebank food bank closes its doors after supplies fail

This was how the project's shelves looked during a similar shortage in October last year ... but this week supplies ran out altogether.

It isn’t the first time the Kersiebank Community Project has hit problems in gaining enough stock to satisfy local demand, as it faced a similar dearth last year.

However earlier this week the Project told local residents via social media that it had been forced to close its doors because it had literally no food to hand out.

Despite the many generous donations from people of all ages the local need for help is constant.

Meanwhile Kersiebank is asking anyone able to give a few hours of their time to help out at a food collection stint at Tesco in Falkirk Retail Park, where the team will be active between 9.30am and 2.30pm on Thursday and Friday.

The Project has meanwhile backed a campaign by charity the Trussell Trust to end the five-week wait faced by people moving to Universal Credit, amid growing evidence that the roll-out of the new system has driven many claimants into poverty.

The charity says: “The new benefits system isn’t the poverty-fighting reform that was promised.

“In 2018, our research showed a 52 per cent average increase in food bank use in areas that have had Universal Credit for at least 12 months, compared to 13 per cent in areas that have not.

“We know Universal Credit is not the only issue driving an increase in food bank use, but it’s a significant factor in many areas.

“Fundamental questions are being asked about how and if Universal Credit can be fixed.

“As the debate rumbles on, more people are moving onto Universal Credit and being forced to food banks as a result – that’s why we need to see urgent changes right now”.