Yrsa Daley-Ward Joins Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief to Amplify Voices of Food Club Members

Yrsa Daley-Ward Joins Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief to Amplify Voices of Food Club Members

(IN BRIEF) Poet Yrsa Daley-Ward collaborates with Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief to illuminate the untold struggles of individuals facing food insecurity in the UK. Through “Unspoken Words,” a collection of poems inspired by real-life stories from the Bonny Downs food club, Daley-Ward aims to spotlight the essential role of food clubs in local communities. Supported by renowned directors RANKIN, a powerful film accompanies the poems to raise awareness about food insecurity realities and encourage donations to Sainsbury’s Nourish the Nation program, which works with Comic Relief to combat food poverty through earlier support and intervention. Despite over 10 million individuals facing food insecurity in the UK, misconceptions and social stigma deter many from accessing available food support services. The initiative seeks to dismantle these barriers and foster understanding of the dignified assistance provided by food clubs, ensuring individuals can maintain their independence and dignity.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 26-Mar-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Poet Yrsa Daley-Ward has partnered with Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief to bring to life the unheard struggles of those experiencing food insecurity in the UK. Unspoken Words, a bespoke collection of poems, has been designed to give a voice to food club members and to help highlight the vital support that food clubs provide within local communities.

Yrsa visited Bonny Downs food club in East Ham, London, last month to speak to the club’s members and hear their real-life stories. The poems, inspired by these conversations, hope to shed light on the dignified services that food clubs provide to communities in the UK, as well as bringing to life the real stories of those facing food insecurity today.

Alongside the poems, renowned directors RANKIN have produced a short but powerful film. This aims to raise awareness of the realities of food insecurity in the UK, while also encouraging people to donate to Sainsbury’s Nourish the Nation programme. The programme, in partnership with Comic Relief, aims to help provide good food for all and prevent people from falling into food poverty through earlier support and intervention. It does this through funding charities such as Feeding Britain, which enables them to provide food poverty prevention initiatives such as the Bonny Downs food club.

Despite over 10 million2 people in the UK now facing food insecurity3 less than a fifth (two million) of those people are using the food support services available to them, with the largest barrier being social stigma. For example, research revealed that nearly a third (30%) believe food club users receive government benefits, while over a quarter (26%) believe users are not in full-time work. There is a critical need to break down these public misconceptions and foster understanding of the role that food clubs play, which is to help those on the edge of food poverty to maintain their independence and dignity, preventing them from reaching crisis point.

Yrsa Daley-Ward said: “It was a privilege to hear the real, personal experiences of those at the Bonny Downs Food Club – their openness allowed me to create authentic poems about the experiences of those facing food poverty. Witnessing the sense of community a food club provides its users, it’s evident that these services and hubs offer a place of comfort and friendship, outside of just groceries. I hope the poems do justice to the real conversations that inspired them and help to highlight the vital support food clubs provide.”

Ruth Cranston, Director of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said: “Millions of people are struggling to access enough nutritious food for themselves and their families, and their stories are often going unheard. That’s why we’ve worked with Yrsa Daley-Ward, to bring to life their lived experiences in a really powerful way, helping to raise awareness of the critical food poverty issue in the UK, and some of the great support services, like food clubs, happening in communities around us.

“By working with Comic Relief and charities such as Feeding Britain, we can make a real difference in the fight against food poverty, and we encourage our customers to join us by donating what they can to help drive long lasting change. Our Nourish the Nation programme aims to ensure that everyone up and down the country has access to good food that is balanced, nutritious, and sustainable.”

Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Millions of people in the UK are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and face impossible choices. Many are in need of help and support. The Nourish the Nation programme, supported by our long-term partner Sainsbury’s has never been more needed. We are proud to be working with a range of organisations and incredible individuals who are helping to make a difference in the lives of so many families and communities across the country.”

Over the course of its twenty-five-year partnership with Comic Relief, Sainsbury’s has raised more than £170m, including £9.2m in the last year alone. Customers can support the Nourish the Nation programme in Sainsbury’s stores and online, via the Nectar app, or on the Comic Relief website.

Notes to editors

Research conducted by Opinium on 2,000 UK adults, aged 18+ between 08/03/24 – 21/03/24
1Food support services include food banks, food clubs and food vouchers
Food clubs allow members to pay for items but at a reduced price, enabling people on low incomes to stretch their budgets further each week, helping to prevent crises from arising in household finances.
Food clubs allow members to pay for items but at a reduced price, enabling people on low incomes to stretch their budgets further each week, helping to prevent crises from arising in household finances

A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organisation that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens.

Food vouchers are vouchers that can be redeemed at several food outlets including supermarkets or food banks in exchange for food items and goods. The amounts can vary depending on the local authority area and how many children reside in the household.

2Figures of 5.3 million and 5.1 million have been combined to reach the over 10 million.
On a nat rep survey of 2000 UK adults, 201 are UK adults that say they have used a food service. 201 / 2000 * 53188204 (UK adult population) = 5345415 (shorthand 5.3 million)
On a nat rep survey of 2000 UK adults, 193 are UK adults that say they have considered using a food service. 193 / 2000 * 53188204 (UK adult population) = 5132662 (shorthand 5.1 million)

3Defined as those who are using food club services or have used food club services.

Media Contact:

press_office@sainsburys.co.uk

SOURCE: Sainsbury’s