Cambridge City Foodbank is on course to provide more than 250,000 meals to individuals and families in need across the city in 2026, new internal figures reveal.
The stark projection highlights the growing scale of poverty in one of the UK’s most unequal cities. According to the charity’s reporting service, volunteers are expected to contribute around 32,000 hours over the year to meet rising demand.
Food support is delivered through the Foodbank’s Welcome Centres, which provide three-day emergency food parcels, and its Fairbite Food Clubs, where members can access affordable food on an ongoing basis for a nominal fee.
National poverty levels at record high
The forecast comes as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation publishes its UK Poverty 2026 report, revealing that a record 6.8 million people across the country are now living in “very deep” poverty — defined as household income below 40% of the national median.
The report found that three in 10 children, one in six pensioners and one in five working-age adults in the UK are living in poverty.
For charities on the frontline in Cambridge, those figures reflect what they are seeing daily.
‘A genuinely staggering sum’
Steve Clay, CEO of Cambridge City Foodbank, described the projected 250,000 meals as “a genuinely staggering sum”.
“Our latest figures, combined with the findings from the UK Poverty 2026 report, make for bleak reading,” he said. “Poverty across the UK and in Cambridge is deepening, and we are now looking at a situation where we will likely provide over a quarter of a million meals to people in need this year.
“We hope that some of the new measures coming in April, including the removal of the two-child benefit cap and the launch of the community support fund, will ease some of the pressure being felt by charities like ours. But in the here and now, we are facing an uphill battle.”
Community support crucial
Cambridge City Foodbank relies heavily on donations from residents and businesses across the city to continue its work.
“Cambridge is one of the most unequal cities in the UK, but we are hugely grateful to the people and businesses who are generously donating food and funds,” Mr Clay added. “Every item you donate provides hope to someone in need.”
Residents wishing to support the Foodbank can find more information via its website.
To find out more about how you could support people facing hunger in Cambridge, visit: https://cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk/support-us
