Today was the first day of the Big Little Give week in Milton Keynes. Volunteers arrange food collection points and funraising events across Milton Keynes.  I joined Andrew Pakes and Emily Darlington, Labour’s Parliamentary candidates for Milton Keynes, to meet with volunteers from the local youth club who were collecting food for the food bank at their local Asda. We discussed the growth in food poverty in the area as local families struggle with higher living costs, lower wages, reduced working hours and welfare changes. In 2009 the food bank gave out 3140 food parcels – last year this peaked to 7459 food parcels.

Following this Andrew Pakes, Emily Darlington and I joined local Labour activists to campaign in the area. People raised a number of concerns on the doorstep, including the rising costs of child care, youth employment and the cost of living.