As an award-winning market research agency, we are astutely aware of the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having on UK citizens; data from our recent BBC poll reveals that 60% of consumers reduced the amount of food they bought in the previous week in order to save money.
To help those most affected, this year we decided to channel our fundraising and volunteering efforts into The Trussell Trust, a UK-based charity that supports a nationwide network of food banks.
Aimed at ending hunger in the UK, The Trussell Trust support more than 1,200 food banks across the country, and with the current economic landscape, demand from necessity is on the up.
Our corporate polls monitoring the attitudes and impact of the cost-of-living crisis show that 47% of people have been impacted by rising energy bills in the last 6 months, and almost a third (30%) have noticed an increase in the cost of food for their household.
With wages and salaries failing to rise in conjunction with inflated costs, our Ofwat poll on the cos of living reveals the number of people who have struggled to pay at least one household bill in the last 12 months has increased from 69% to 74% since February 2022. Notably, 1 in 10 of those struggling to pay a bill stated they have had to use a food bank in the last 12 months.
As 56% expect their financial situation to get worse over the next 6 months; this figure looks set to rise.
To help The Trussell Trust support those forced to use foodbanks, Savanta has run numerous fundraising and volunteering initiatives since the beginning of 2022, raising a total of £10,067 to date.
This includes, 3 colleagues cycling 110km from London to Eastbourne, a night-time climb of Snowdon taken on by 16 colleagues, and, most recently, another 9 colleagues running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October.
Other colleagues at Savanta have taken part in local food drives; greeting customers at Tesco supermarkets, collecting donations and sorting through collections to be delivered to the local Trussell Trust food bank. Additionally, colleagues from our Oxford office attended Witney Foodbank open afternoon and served food and drinks to community members, helping to raise awareness of The Trussell Trust and their work. Donation points were also installed in our offices, giving everyone the opportunity to donate items the food banks needed.
The initiative is set to continue, as we have several colleagues due to take part in more food drives in December, to help gather essential food items as we approach Christmas, a particularly tough time of year for those who are financially struggling.
As we approach Christmas, we will continue encouraging colleagues to make food donations where they can, as we plan to promote the reverse advent calendar which involves donating one essential food item each day of advent. Providing everyone with the chance to support The Trussell Trust at a crucial time.
