We keep being told that the economy is on the up, things are getting better and the average person has more money in their pocket, but this is not always backed up by official figures relating to poverty in the UK.
The Guardian reports that there are now more than 1,000 official food banks around the country, with millions of families turning to groups such as The Trussell Trust to put basic food on their table. This requires organisation and the right tools for the job. A lot of charities are asking for a donation of a flatbed trolley to help them carry the food stock from one location to another without the risk of it dropping on the floor.
Legal requirements
Volunteers who run these services do a fantastic job; however, what many people don’t realise is that food banks have to comply with EHO, European directives and other requirements in exactly the same way as food suppliers such M&S or Sainsbury’s.
Around Christmas − the season of goodwill − and also in the depths of winter, food banks find their supplies are thankfully boosted as the result of the generosity of those more fortunate and special pre-Christmas requests by charities. This can bring its own problems, with the need to store even more food in often less-than-suitable premises. Pests are trying all the harder to find food supplies and dry living quarters, just as we are.
Free premises inspections
In November, as part of National Pest Prevention Week, members of the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) offered free inspections to the Trussell Trust centres to help them ensure they have guidelines in place and are exercising good practices to avoid any unwelcome visitors to these additional food supplies.
Unwelcome visitors are not just the common rodents or insects. Nuisance bird management may well need to be a consideration, with pigeons and gulls feeling they should partake of the Christmas spirit. BPCA companies offer a wide variety of services; for example, if you contact Vvenv about nuisance pigeon management services, it will do a full assessment of your premises and offer not only the removal of the existing birds but also preventative measures for the future.
It is good to see companies doing what they can to offer their time for free in the spirit of the season. There is nothing to stop the operatives offering further services to the charities, of course, and many took up additional training and extra vermin proofing. Excellent work, BPCA!
