In the 10th episode of Season 10 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe interviews Zoe Marlow, Food Bank Manager at Dandelion Community Church. They discuss Zoe's personal journey from seeking help to becoming a community leader, the operations and challenges of running a food bank, and the importance of treating individuals with compassion and respect.

Zoe shares insights into food poverty, the stigma attached to seeking help, and community initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and fostering self-sustainability. The episode also highlights Zoe's inspiring trip to Africa and its impact on her community work.

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Did you know:

· In 2022/23 there were 7.2 million people, or 11% of the UK population, in households experiencing food poverty, including 17% of children.

· Food banks are run by charities and are intended as a temporary provision to supply emergency food.

· In 2022/23, 2.3 million people in the UK lived in households which had used a food bank in the previous 12 months, a rate of 3%. This includes 6% of children, 3% of working-age adults, and around 1% of pensioners.

· In 2023/24 the Trussell Trust supplied 3.12 millionemergency food parcels, the highest number of parcels distributed by the network in a year.

Key resource:

Dandelion Community Centre

Time stamps of key moments in the podcast episode &transcript:

(01:02) Meet Zoe Marlow: Food Bank Manager

(01:49) Zoe's Personal Journey

(02:32) Dandelion Food Bank: How It Works

(05:03) Challenges and Obstacles

(07:27) Community Support and Services

(11:30) Dandelion Community Savers and Africa Trip

(16:38) Misunderstandings and Myths

(23:15) Community Voice and Development

(24:58) Signature Questions

Listen to the episode and read the transcript on www.meetthemancunian.co.uk