Young people struggling to afford food face 'stigma' when seeking help: 'We don't feel welcome'

Kyson Redd first faced homelessness when they were 18. It was four years ago and the country was about to be plunged into a cost of living crisis, which left millions of people struggling to afford the basics they need to survive.

For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds like Redd, it took a heavy toll.

“I have struggled with food insecurity throughout my life,” Redd says. “I grew up in a household with no adults that had a working job and, since the age of 18, I have been homeless. I’m 22 now and still living in homeless accommodation.

“As a child, a lot of the food we had was processed food and easy, cheap and simple meals. And while that is good for the fact there is some food to eat, it also left me without the ability to cook, for example. Simple meals and budgeting was an issue for me.”

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Redd is among many young people in the UK who found themselves unable to afford to eat.

One in five children and young people aged 10 to 24 have struggled or are in a family that has had struggled to pay for or access food in the last six months, according to new research from Barnardo’s and Co-op. That is 2.5 million.

Almost a quarter (23%) said they are unable to access healthy food in their communities.

Redd, who is on the youth advisory committee for the partnership between Barnardo’s and Co-op and helped produce the report, says they have spoken to others who feel there is a “stigma” around young people facing food poverty “that shouldn’t be there”. 

They say they have felt as though people have “stared” at them in food banks and pantries, as though they are not deserving of the food in the same way as others.

Redd admits that there are times they have felt “ashamed” by their struggles to afford food. “It makes me feel like I haven’t been spending my money correctly, or that I’m not buying the right food, like I should be getting the cheapest meal possible.”

Almost half of young people (46%) said the rising cost of living is their biggest concern for the future, Barnardo’s found. Meanwhile, more than one in three (36%) young people feel that fears for the future have become a part of their daily life.

Around 45% of young people surveyed said they have experienced anxiety, stress, anger, panic attacks, loneliness or depression in the past six months.

Barnardo’s and Co-op are together aiming to raise £7 million to support the futures of one million young people – to ensure that young people have more places to turn for support. One of the ways they hope to do this is by campaigning for more local food partnerships across the UK.

These are coalitions of local organisations and individuals working together to create a more sustainable, resilient food system – which is there to support people, alleviate food waste and build a community. Barnardo’s and Co-op want to see local authorities implement a food partnership in every community by 2030.

Currently, just more than half of local authorities (54%) are working with a food partnership. Yet just 28% of them have a focus on supporting young people, while only 13% said their food partnership involved young people in decision-making.

It is a call which Redd feels passionate about backing, having themself benefited from a local food partnership in Manchester. But they would like to see more young people involved in food partnerships to ensure they properly represent their needs.

“A lot of young people feel they want to be able to give back to their local community,” Redd says. “But it also shows how isolated they are. They feel that they have to actively give something. I felt like I needed to go above and beyond to access the basic support.”

Redd established their own pet food bank to help other people who were struggling. That has helped them foster a community, through which they are able to get support from others.

Another example Redd gives of a successful scheme is a local community garden – Platt Fields Market Garden – which runs classes where people of all ages can grow vegetables and other produce. They also have cooking classes and a cafe on site, and it again gives people a sense of community.

These community initiatives and organisations are vital in alleviating food insecurity and supporting people’s wellbeing too – but they can have an even greater impact if they work together.

“Young people don’t feel like their voices are being heard or they have a platform to have their voices be heard,” Redd says. “Once young people are facing food insecurity, and once they’re facing the inability to access food because of stigma, they don’t feel welcome. The involvement in food partnerships is giving them a platform to be involved.”

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