A foodbank is changing its name to stop people being put off by ‘real stigma’

A foodbank is changing its name to rid itself of the “real stigma” that is putting off vulnerable users.

Moray Foodbank in Elgin, Scotland, will be rebranding as Moray Food Plus from Monday June 3 in a bid to shed the negative connotations that have prevented struggling families from receiving help, said officials.

The move also reflects the wider offering at the centre, with lunch clubs to reduce social isolation in the area as well as holiday clubs to eat into holiday hunger suffered during school breaks.

“Many people are too embarrassed to come to the foodbank for help and there can be a real stigma around using our service,” said Moray Foodbank’s project manager Mairi McCallum. “We feel that the change away from Moray Foodbank to Moray Food Plus removes the negative connotations around crisis food support and we hope will encourage more people to access the help they need.”

The foodbank also helps the local community to tackle food waste, saving 17 tonnes of food from the bin last year to be redistributed locally.

Moray Foodbank chair Kathy Ross added. “During the past two years services at Moray Food Plus have grown and we no longer provide just emergency food provision.

“We feel the change of name is more reflective of what we do and highlights the good work being carried out in the community.”

The organisation split from the national foodbank charity The Trussell Trust to become independent in February and is now hoping to act as a blueprint for other food banks showing how to go beyond merely giving out emergency food parcels.

Food poverty is also on the menu in this week’s Big Issue magazine, available now from vendors and The Big Issue Shop.

We look at the lessons learned from last week’s human rights poverty reports to explore how Brits can fight for a right to food that goes beyond simply being fed and instead asks for a sustainable food system.

We also dig in to the debate on chlorinated chicken, explore the UK’s fried chicken fascination and explore a revealing look at what homeless people eat.