Norwich group challenges people to live on £3 of food a day

A sandwich shop is challenging people to survive on just £3 of food a day to highlight the growing number of people facing food insecurity.

Eat Social, which operates a cafe in Wensum Street, Norwich, is launching the campaign in October, asking people to sign up to take part in the two-day task.

It comes as the latest figures from the Food Foundation show one in six families with children are facing food insecurity.

Lisa Vincent, who set up the community interest company after hearing stories of children presenting with diseases caused by malnutrition, said the situation was "unacceptable" and she wanted the challenge to raise awareness.

She added: "Food insecurity is not just about hunger but also poor nutrition in diets, the anxiety of not knowing where your next meal is coming from.

"Living off £3 of food a day is going to be very boring, bland and probably not very nutritious. It is just about satiating hunger in the immediate moment."

Vincent based the challenge on research showing the lowest income families are feeding themselves on £25 a week per person, which works out at about £3 a day.

"We want to raise more awareness of this and for people to understand, this is tough," she said.

Eat Social's sandwich shop venture launched three months ago and it puts 100% of its profits towards its community meals programme , providing nourishing meals to groups in schools.

People taking part in the £3-a-day challenge are also being asked to donate the remaining money they would have spent on food towards this project.

Vincent was spurred to start the project after feeling "disgusted" at stories of malnutrition affecting primary school pupils in West Earlham , Norwich, with a headteacher reporting children with bowed legs.

She said: "Poor nutrition in childhood affects brain development and physical development, and you can't get that back.

"Once that development's been hampered, you could have a brilliant diet, but you are not getting that back."

Food prices remain a concern and there are fears they could rise following this summer's extreme weather , which resulted in poor crop yield, and as further climate changes are predicted.

A government spokesperson said it is determined to turn the tide on poverty, using schemes including a £1bn Crisis and Resilience Fund to help councils tackle food poverty.

"Our recent statistics show that effort is beginning to make a difference - household incomes have risen 5% in real terms, food bank usage has fallen and food insecurity is down," the spokesperson added.

"To ease cost-of-living pressures we have brought forward a wide range of measures including raising the National Minimum Wage , suspending tariffs on everyday staples, leading to lower prices at the till."

Hannah Worsley, project manager for Norwich Food Bank, said people who had already made changes to their lifestyle since the cost-of-living crisis began were still struggling to make ends meet.

She said: "Several years ago, the problem people were facing was a one-off thing, like losing a job, which was then resolved and people would be back on their feet able to cope again.

"Now, we're seeing people who've made cuts maybe eating less or not using certain facilities like their cooker or their washing machine and it's still not enough to live on."

She hopes the £3-a-day challenge will help people empathise with people who face a daily struggle to afford food.

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