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Generosity highlights gaps in net
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The high cost of accommodation, a cost of living which exceeds the UK average by a substantial margin, sectors of the economy which pay low wages, and redundancy are all factors contributing to this problem.
However, although it is widely understood that inequalities exist, many may imagine that absolute poverty – as opposed to mere disparities in disposable income – is not a major fact of Island life. Unfortunately, this comfortable view of our community is undermined by information that has emerged from a charity, the Grace Trust.
The trust has said that the number of families it helps to support with food parcels has doubled in recent years. It is still dealing with relatively small numbers of cases – 77 at the last count – but the trend is without doubt disturbing. The rate at which demand for help is increasing might be lower than in the UK, where the number of people relying on food banks has tripled in the past 12 months, but there are still causes for concern.
To begin with, not so long ago the very expression ‘food parcel’ would not be one associated with this Island, except in the context of the life-saving aid of the Vega near the end of the German Occupation. More significantly, the demand met by the Grace Trust suggests that there are at least some gaps in the safety net that is income support, the mechanism that should now shield Islanders from want.
Establishing whether the state should step up its efforts to help those in truly dire need is likely to take time. In the meantime, there is a clear course of action for those who are fortunate to enjoy the advantages of Island life to the full.
The Grace Trust has made it clear that all donations, particularly of canned goods and items such as dried pasta, which have a long shelf-life, will be gratefully accepted and distributed. Those who can afford to give should do so generously.
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