Sand Moor Golf Club

There are already 13 million people in the UK classed as living in poverty and during the first two-weeks of lockdown there was an 80% increase in requests for assistance from the Leeds North & West Foodbank mirroring the national increase reported by both the Trussell Trust, the UK’s biggest food bank network, and the Independent Food Aid Network. The situation is set to get worse for the following reasons:

• Unemployment increased by 856,000 to 2.1 million in April, the biggest monthly rise since modern records began in 1971. This sort of increase is expected for several months as businesses close permanently.

• Unemployment will affect people from all walks of life including those in the entertainment, catering and retail industries.

• There is an inevitable gap between unemployment and the receipt of universal credit during which time help is required.

• Many people on furlough receiving 80% of their salary do not have enough to spend on food, particularly when their children are missing free school lunches.

With this in mind the Club has adopted the Leeds North & West Foodbank as the charity that it will support this year. The need for help is urgent so we have set up a “Give as You Live” site on behalf of the Club. I would urge members make a donation via this site. The funds raised will go to the Leeds North & West Foodbank (part of the Trussell Trust) based in Moortown and serving 9 distribution centres in the area. All donations will be highly appreciated. For those in a more fortunate position I believe that this is a worthy cause for our help in these times of chaos