Towards the end of 2020, our Student Council met to discuss how the college could be supporting our wider community more. One of the strategies they decided to pursue was opening a food bank in the Student Common Room which would allow students and staff to contribute food to those in Birmingham who really need it. With so many charities in Birmingham looking for regular food contributions, they decided that they would support a number of areas in the Birmingham community rather than just one.

Food banks play a vital role in providing food to those who need it. We live in an age where not everybody can afford to provide their family with a meal every day of the week. There are a wide variety of people such as students, families, or even zero-hour contract workers that have suffered since Covid-19. For them, using food banks gives them a break from thinking about not being able to afford food, and spares them some time to plan their next steps into recovering from financial hardship.

Whether they just lost their job, had an unexpected expense or have had their salary substantially reduced, local food banks enable them an opportunity of relief. MPW Birmingham students and staff have been extremely generous in their contributions, with some students donating baskets of food that they have purchased from our local supermarket here in Edgbaston.

I believe everyone should give back as we are all blessed with the opportunity to go to such a nice school, wear nice clothes and have nice things. However, we must understand not everyone is like us. There are any people out there who unfortunately do not have even the basic necessities in life. They have no shelter, no warmth, inadequate clothing, little food. We know it is a hard time at the moment and the government is projecting harder times ahead. Homelessness has gone through the roof and so has poverty within families. Many are struggling to feed their kids. How much they feel?

MPW Student Council Member Arran

The MPW Food Bank’s first collection has been donated to South Birmingham Community Food Hub. Set up back in late March 2020 as a direct response to Covid -19, the Food Hub delivers food parcels to those in financial need, or who are vulnerable throughout the lockdown period. They have supported over 26,000 individuals; sending in excess of 13,000 free food parcels.

For more information on South Birmingham Community Food Hub visit here.