The winter months can be challenging for many
Ignite Life has teamed up with Mikko Games to fundraise money and donations to create winter parcels for families in food poverty. We want to make the challenging winter months special for those most vulnerable and support families in need.
If you want to show your support and help us make winter special for families in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, please visit our JustGiving page or email Ignite to donate games and toys directly: JustGiving Page
The story:
“Food poverty” is used to describe a state of not having enough money to afford sufficient nutritional food. A report, published in 2020, stated that people from low-income families had little to no choice in what they ate or if they ate.
In 2019 it was reported that UK’s food poverty is among the highest in Europe.[1] The article also reported that “nearly one in five UK children under 15 lives in a home where the parents cannot afford to put food on the table”.
Further, a report from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) stated that “one in ten people were forced to use foodbanks in June”.[2]
The Covid crisis and the Universal Credit cuts have only worsened the situation. An article by the Mirror reported that due to benefit cuts and increasing living costs, 250,000 children could possibly go hungry this Christmas.[3] A report from the Childhood Trust found that 28% of mothers questioned in the survey said that they had gone without food so their children could eat.[4] Laurence Guinness, the chief executive of Trust, said “the scale of inequality has been made much worse by rising costs of living and, coupled with the reductions in Universal Credit, it’s already having a disastrous impact on the most vulnerable children.”[5]
"The prevalence of poor mental health in people referred to a food bank increased from 51% in early 2020 to 72% in mid 2020" - The Trussell Trust
We want to make winter parcels which include games and toys to help with the mental health crisis observed today! Playing games has countless benefits including spending positive time with family members and friends, reducing isolation and increasing confidence.
How you can help:
Ignite Life is currently running a campaign to raise money for Christmas/winter parcels. We’d like to thank Mikko Gameswho are supporting us in this campaign. It’s no secret that poverty increases the risk of mental health issues.[1] Mikko Games doesn’t just sell board games, but are also active advocates for mental health. If you’d like to donate, the link to our page is: JustGiving Page
