Charity says food poverty is rising across Devon and Cornwall

A food sharing charity said it had provided more than 500,000 meals to those in need across Devon and Cornwall this year and was ramping up its operation in the run up to Christmas.

Charity FareShare South West (FSSW), which works with local supermarkets and farmers, said this year more than 800 tonnes of produce had passed through its warehouse in Estover, Plymouth.

From there it is distributed to those on low incomes or struggling to afford food.

UK food prices rose by 37.2% between August 2020 and August 2025, according to the government which said it had taken a number of steps to ease poverty including raising the minimum wage.

Josie Forsyth, deputy chief executive of FSSW, said: “One-in-four children are in poverty in Devon and Cornwall and at Christmas time that means either choosing heating your home as a family or providing the meal the children need to thrive.”

FSSW works with Cooperation Town in Plymouth, which sets up community co-operatives where members can volunteer and pay a small fee to receive food at a discounted rate.

Susan Exley, from Cooperation Town, said: “Everything in the shops is going up all the time. Electricity, gas, I’ve got it all. I’m a pensioner and I’m only on a low income, so I’m only on a small state pension and this was a big yes for me.

“I’m paying £3 a week and in our bags we’re getting £18.75 worth of food which is a big saving.”

The food co-op at the Burrington Hub at All Saints Church of England Academy in Plymouth, has been running for eight weeks.

A government spokesperson said: “Food bank use is a blight on the country and although it went down last year, we are determined to do more.

“To help with everyday costs we’ve increased the National Minimum Wage meaning an extra £1,500 a year for full-time workers, as well as taking £150 off energy bills from April and recommitting to the triple lock.”

The triple lock formula says that the state pension will rise in spring by the greater of 2.5%, the previous September’s inflation rate, or the increase in average earnings registered over the previous summer.