In 2017, Independent Councillor, Michael Lilley, established an annual Pancake event and challenge to raise awareness of poverty and the work of IW Foodbanks. The event celebrates its 6th year on Pancake Day on Tuesday 1st March at 11.00am, at Pickle & Dill, Union Street, in Ryde. Michael is hosting the event as Mayor of Ryde and IW Council’s Mental Health Champion in partnership with Pickle & Dill with funds going to Ryde Foodbank to raise awareness of how family poverty leads to poor mental and physical health for children. Last year, the event was held virtually and over the last 5 years over £9000 has been raised. All funds raised this year will go to Ryde/IW Food Bank. Over the last 2 years during Covid19, Ryde Food Bank never closed and was there supplying food to those in real need. This event celebrates and thanks them.
After 2 years of the pandemic, food poverty is still a huge issue in UK and Ryde. New data released by the Food Foundation shows continued rise in food insecurity across the UK. Compared with July 2021 the figure has risen from 7.3% of UK households to 8.8% (4.7 million adults) in the past month. There is also a significant rise in the number of households with children experiencing food insecurity in the past month from 12.1% up from 11.0% in July 2021. This represents a total of 2 million children who live in households that do not have access to a healthy and affordable diet which puts them at high risk of suffering from diet related diseases, poor child growth and shorter lives.. The Food Foundation calls on Government to make food insecurity central to the levelling up agenda.
The Children’s’ Society state that over the last 25 years research has shown that growing up in poverty has a detrimental effect on the mental health and well-being of children and young people. There is evidence to suggest that children and young people who live in poverty have a higher chance of experiencing mental health problems and lower subjective well-being both as children, and as adults. Joseph Rowntree UK Poverty Report 2018 states child poverty has been rising significantly since 2011/12 in the UK and this is the case on the Isle of Wight. 4.1 million children are living in poverty in the UK, a rise of 500,000 in the last five years; Four million workers are living in poverty –a rise of more than half a million over five years; and in-work poverty has been rising even faster than employment, driven almost entirely by increasing poverty among working parents.
Cllr Lilley (Mayor of Ryde) says:
“To me everything starts with a child and if a child is given a good start in life then there is hope for this child, the family, the community and society. However, if a child lives in poverty in the UK in 2022, they are 11 times more likely to fall into care and there future is less hopeful. Every child deserves hope and we have to focus more resources in changing this. As an older adult in the community, a granddad, I feel I have a moral and ethical duty to campaign for future generations and eradication of poverty. On the Isle of Wight the IW Food Bank are on the coalface of getting food to families and children who are in crisis. We need to support this but also campaign for a society that does not need this form of charity. It is totally unacceptable that children and families in 2022 Britain have to rely on charity to live, but if it wasn’t for Ryde and IW Food Bank many children would have starved. Please support by donating funds”
If you wish to challenge the Mayor and help raised funds for the Ryde/IW Food banks please come along to Pickle and Dill on 1st March at 2022. The winner of the most flips in 3 minutes will get a Pickle & Dill hamper. Further details on www.michaellilley.uk.
