The Highlands’ biggest food bank asks public to spread a little warmth this winter
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Blythswood Care’s Highland Foodbank wants people to donate hot water bottles.
The charity which distributes emergency food parcels all over the region is already experiencing a rise in referrals as people struggle to meet soaring energy costs.
With families and individuals finding it harder to heat their homes during the cost-of-living crisis, there has been a switch in focus to heating the individual.
For the first time, Blythswood’s food bank will routinely offer hot water bottles to those who need them this winter.
“It is something we will be asking the public for help with,” Highland Foodbank manager Lorna Dempster said.
“We haven’t started giving them out yet, but we plan to be able to do that from the end of the month as the weather gets really cold.
“A lot of people are struggling with rising bills and the message out there is to heat the person, rather than the home.
“It is probably far more cost-effective to boil a kettle and fill a hot water bottle that will heat the person and last a good while longer, than switching the heating on for a couple of hours.”
The Inverness-based charity’s hope is to ensure that every
referral will have the option of accepting a hot water bottle as part of their food packages, if they need one.
The hot water bottles will not be distributed en masse, but on a needs basis.
“Rather than simply give them in our food packages as standard, we will ask the person who has been referred to the food bank if a hot water bottle would be helpful,” Mrs Dempster said.
“We already avoid putting all household items and toiletries in as standard. We ask people if there are specific items that would be helpful and we’ll add hot water bottles to that list.”
In the last year, Blythswood’s food banks have fed 8267 people in the Highlands, with demand growing on the charity.
“We’ve certainly seen a rise in people who are running out of electricity and gas because of cost increases,” she added.
“For one lady last week, her first cup of tea that day was when she came to our food bank. She had no electricity.
“At the moment, it is cold but the temperatures are obviously going to drop further as winter approaches.
“That will be the telling time.”
The food bank is about to launch its annual reverse advent calendar campaign which highlights items urgently needed for distribution.
The item for November 28 is a hot water bottle.
Cash donations can be made here while hot water bottles can be donated at the food bank at 1 Glebe Street, Inverness.
