A Blackburn presenter came back to her hometown to visit a food bank, where demand has surged amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
AJ Odudu, the host of ITV’s Big Brother, has been announced as an ambassador for the Trussell Trust, a network of food banks which provide emergency food to people in poverty.
Demand at Blackburn Foodbank, based in Oakenhurst Road, has surged and a volunteer said they have seen a lot of new faces, some of whom have jobs but are unable to afford to feed their families.
As an ambassador, AJ will play her part in ending hunger in the UK by using her voice to raise awareness of the solutions needed to ensure no one needs to turn to a food bank to survive.
Since 2010, the number of people receiving food parcels has risen from around 40,000 to around three million, Trussell Trust data shows, with the number of food banks around the UK increasing from 35 in 2010 to more than 2,800 in 2024.
The former St Bede’s High School pupil first visited the food bank near her childhood home in 2022, before going on to support the anti-poverty charity many times, including raising money on the TV quiz show Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
AJ said: “I know for a fact no one visits food banks unless they absolutely have to, and I just want to do everything within my power to support those facing hunger and hardship here in the UK.
“It is deeply moving to see all of the amazing volunteers from my local area doing so much to help the community but the food bank shouldn’t need to be here, everyone should be able to afford the essentials.
“I’m proud to be a Trussell ambassador and I hope that everyone else will join me in playing their part in ending the need for food banks by donating, volunteering or campaigning for the change needed.”
Trussell Trust chief executive, Emma Revie, said: “We’re delighted to welcome AJ as an ambassador as her warmth, empathy, and ability to connect with people personifies the compassionate welcome that the food banks in our community provide to people seeking their help.
“We know that, like AJ, millions of people want a future where no one needs a food bank to survive.
"Everyone has a part to play in achieving this and if we all work together then we can end hunger in the UK, and until then food banks like Blackburn will continue to be there for anyone who needs their support.”
This announcement comes at a time of unprecedented levels of need, with food banks in the Trussell community distributing more than 3.1m emergency food parcels last year – almost double the number provided just five years ago.
Gill Fourie, a volunteer at Blackburn Foodbank, said: “Sadly, need has gone up.
"More working people need to use the food bank and more people we’ve never seen before are coming through the door.
“We primarily help people with emergency food parcels. We will also ask how else we can help, in terms of financial, employment, or mental health support.
“We know people don’t have a lot of money. If we can guarantee the essentials, we can guarantee a basic level of income, then people do not need to use food banks. Our ambition is not to be here. It is to close.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here