Press Release: RCT Food Parcel stats for 2024/25

Over 16,634 emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship between April 2024 and March 2025, with 5,793 of these provided for children, according to new figures from foodbanks in RCT released today. Rhondda Cynon Taf has seen a slight decrease of 7.7% in the number of emergency food parcels distributed compared to last year.

Despite this slight dip, RCT has seen persistently high levels of food bank need over the last five years, and a 30.2% increase when compared with the same period in 2019 – 2020.

A spokesperson for the foodbank networks said: “Although we have seen a slight decrease in the number of parcels distributed, far too many people in our communities are still going without the essentials. We hear constantly about the struggles facing people at risk of hunger and hardship, and we need urgent action from the government to ensure everyone can afford the essentials and no one has to use a foodbank to survive.”

Pontypridd Foodbank, Rhondda Foodbank, Merthyr Cynon Foodbank, and Taff Ely Foodbank are part of the Trussell community of foodbanks, which has reported persistently high levels of need in the last 12 months, with almost 3 million (2,885,086) emergency food parcels provided to people facing hardship across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025. More than a million of these parcels were provided for children.

The foodbanks believe everybody should have enough money in their pockets to put food on the table and are calling on the community to play their part to help end the need for emergency food in the UK.

Until then, the public can help make sure the foodbanks continue to provide warm, compassionate, practical support and advice in the year ahead by donating food or funds at:

• Taff-Ely Foodbank: https://taffely.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/
• Pontypridd Foodbank: https://pontypridd.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/
• Rhondda Foodbank: https://rhondda.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/
• Merthyr Cynon Foodbank: https://merthyrcynon.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/

Emma Revie, chief executive of Trussell, said: “Far too many children, families, disabled people, working people, and elderly people from across RCT needed to access food banks for emergency food in the past year. This should be a wake-up call to the government and a stark reminder of its responsibilities to the people of RCT.

“A whole generation has now grown up in RCT where sustained high levels of food bank need feel like the norm. The community has teachers, doctors, and healthcare professionals now routinely referring people to food banks as part of their day-to-day jobs, showing how emergency food has sadly become a fixture. If you can, please play your part and help change this.”

You can find out how many emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship in your local area on the Trussell website: https://www.trussell.org.uk/news-and-research/news/more-than-1.8m-emergency food-parcels-provided-for-families-with-children-in-

ENDS

Contact: Matthew Stevens, Campaign Coordinator at Ta Ely Foodbank, can be reached at [email protected] or 07936 554850

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