A vital charity offering emergency food has been forced to close in Dalmuir and Alexandria, and turn away vulnerable adults after slashed council funding.
From today, the charity Food for Thought is having to drastically reduce its services to stay afloat, and it will now solely focus on families and pensioners from its Dumbarton centre.
This means individual adults, without children, who previously relied on the service will no longer be able to seek crucial food provisions.
“My biggest concern is that our individual clients will have nowhere else to go,” says Charlene Gold, the charity’s operations manager.
“I’m not looking forward to having to tell people but it’s out of our hands.
“If we don’t cut back our services, we simply won’t have a charity anymore.”
As of today, the services that operated on a Monday at St Stephen's Chapel Hall in Dalmuir, and a Tuesday at CATRA Centre in Alexandria have been forced to shut their doors.
The service in Dumbarton will now only operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Food for Thought has been told it will receive £25,750 this year from West Dunbartonshire Council, a fraction of its usual annual grant of £42,000.
“We’ve had no explanation from the council for this cut in funding,” says Charlene.
“When the council produced their budget in April, they said there would be no changes or cuts to food insecurity.
“They know we’re struggling as we’ve already had to appeal for £5000 last month as we’d had nothing since March.
“We cannot afford the same level of support, so we need to focus on the most vulnerable, especially with the school holidays looming.
“We have to prioritise."
Before the funding cut, the charity, which was established in 2017, distributed between 100 and 120 adult bags a week, with each bag costing between £8-£10.
Now individual adult clients will be issued a leaflet detailing alternative services where they can seek assistance.
“I get that people will be upset and I’ll be encouraging them to take their grievance to the council,” says Charlene.
Food for Thought is currently waiting on a response from other potential funders, which includes money to cover the salaries of the three paid employees within the organisation.
Charlene explains that the allocated money from West Dunbartonshire Council is what had previously ensured the charity could meet the rising food insecurity over the years, and that without it, the future looks bleak.
“I am deeply disappointed by the council’s decision to cut our funding with virtually no notice,” says Sharon Rowatt, who chairs the charity’s board.
“The lack of warning has left us with very little time to plan or put alternative funding arrangements in place.
“Decisions of this magnitude have real consequences, not just for our organisation, but for the vulnerable people who rely on us for support every week.
“This reduction comes at a time when demand for our services remains high and many families are already struggling with the rising cost of living.
“We recognise the financial pressures facing local authorities, but we believe that organisations providing essential frontline services deserve meaningful consultation and adequate notice before such significant changes are made.
“We urge the council to reconsider and work with us to find a sustainable solution that protects some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
In response to the issues raised by the charity, West Dunbartonshire Council said: “The council values the support Food for Thought provides to local families and recognises the financial pressures the organisation is facing.
“In March 2023, a three-year funding package was agreed, providing annual support through to March 2026.
“At the council’s budget meeting earlier this year, a further £120,000 was allocated to support foodbanks across the area.
“This year’s funding of £25,750 to Food for Thought reflects a proportionate share of this wider funding.”
Food for Thought have said that they will continue to do everything they can to support those in need, but that this decision will make that task much more challenging.
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