YHCS staff helping food-poor in York this season.

York-based NHS organisation Yorkshire and Humber Commissioning Support (YHCS) staff are taking part in a seasonal scheme to donate food to local foodbanks across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Reducing food poverty is essential to improving health and wellbeing.  With an estimated 10 million people in the UK living in poverty, including nearly three million children, poor diet is a major concern for the NHS. Diet is a risk factor for the UK’s major killers of cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes and poor diet is related to 30% of life years lost in early death and disability.

The voluntary scheme will run across four centres of operation from 24^th November until 12^th December. Members of the public who wish to join in may drop off contributions at YHCS admin centres in Bradford, Sheffield, York, Willerby and Brigg.

YHCS Managing Director Maddy Ruff said:

“As a NHS organisation we are committed to delivering the best outcomes for the people who live in our region. Poor diet is a major factor in ill-health and we support the food bank movement in their work with the most deprived members of our society.”

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For further information contact:

Linzi Kendall, Social Value Lead, YHCS.

T: 07852 915635

E: Linzi.kendall@nhs.net

Notes to editors:

1. Picture shows Maddy Ruff, Managing Director, YHCS.

2.The poorer you are, the worse your diet is and the more likely you are to suffer from diet related diseases.

Food poverty and ill-health - the facts

·         63% of children living in poverty in the UK are in a family where someone works.

·         People living on low incomes eat more processed foods which are much higher in saturated fats and salt.

·         People on low incomes have higher rates of diet related diseases than other people.

·         Diabetes is one and half times more likely to develop in people in the most deprived 20% of the population.

·         People from lower socio economic backgrounds are less likely to survive some cancers.

3. Trussell Trust foodbanks provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK.