The University should create a partnership with the Trussell Trust Foodbanks through the Lifelong Learning Centre and Leeds University Union
Passed: November 2021 (23rd)
What do you want? / Why do you want it?
Not all students are blessed with the financial support provided by parents and extended family and asking the university for financial help could lead to a feeling of embarrassment and the shame of not being able to manage their own finances. According to the NUS, 61% of students have seen some impact on their finances during the covid crisis, with 9% of students accessing food banks at some point due to lack of funds almost 1 in 10 this is an unacceptable figure.
Even those students who have parental support are seeing a reduction in their income due to the ongoing effects, of covid, on their parent’s income. Hardship payments can take weeks to come through leaving struggling students facing uncertainty.
By becoming a referral agent for the Trussell Trust foodbanks, both LLC and LUU can at the very least provide access to an emergency food parcel. Food parcels can be collected off campus and in confidence, the Trussell Trust also offers a sign-posting service to help clients deal with ongoing problems.
Expires: November 2021 (23rd)
Submitted By: Kevin Doyle
Officer: Union Affairs & Communications / Wellbeing
Area of Work: Support
Updates
24/06/22: We are a referral partner for the Trussell Trust, but we aim to support students in-house. We are better positioned to support many students than TT, but we have the ability to refer whenever this is not the case.
January 2022: We are now a referral agent for the foodbanks, so we can refer students if we need to. We are not actively looking to refer students to food banks but use current support that's in place in the first instance. Meeting coming up with Andy (Co-op manager) and Beth (wellbeing) to discuss LUU becoming a donation point for the Trussel Trust Foodbanks.
December 2021: Beth (Wellbeing officer) will be getting in touch with Leeds South and East to begin conversations about setting this partnership up. This will most likely mean becoming a referral agent and potentially a donation point for the food banks.
December 2021: LUU has no formal link with foodbanks, as they have been reluctant to work with LUU on the basis that the University should be providing support for students in need. With the Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, LUU has been able to help nearly every student who needs support. If LUU is unable to provide help to a student/someone who isn't a student, they would refer them to a foodbank in that case.
November 2021: New Policy