A DUNDEE foodbank centre has closed its doors after a review showed it was underused — amid fears stigma is putting people off seeking help.
Foodbank manager Ken Linton said the decision had been made that the Chalmers Ardler centre should shut down because its volunteers were spending more time alone than with clients.
He said he believes the need for the service is still there but thinks that people feel too embarrassed to get help in their local area.
As the nights get colder and darker, Scotland’s busiest foodbank has looked at how to best utilise its resources to help those in need in the city over the winter.
Ken said: “Since April 1, less than half-a-percent of our vouchers were used in Ardler.
“There were 22 vouchers used, feeding 13 adults and nine children, from this centre.”
He said the four volunteers based in Ardler were becoming increasingly unhappy at the lack of help they were able to offer and said moving them was crucial to ensuring they continued to volunteer.
Ken said: “On one occasion this year the volunteers went eight weeks without anyone coming in.
“Their time is valuable and having them just standing around waiting for people made no sense to anyone.
“We saw the need to rethink what we were doing to ensure we’re offering the best possible service city-wide and making the most of our volunteers.
“We think this decision will help us to provide more effective services to the people of Dundee.”
The centre, which had been located at Chalmers Ardler Parish Church on Turnberry Avenue, opened for an hour-and-a-half on Mondays.
After attempts to raise awareness of the centre fell on deaf ears, the decision was made to shut the doors.
Ken said: “We tried posters and leaflets but when that had no effect, we decided to close Ardler and add a day to the Downfield centre opening times to compensate.
“It seems a strange trend, as it’s an area that tends to rely on foodbank parcels.
“I’ve been speaking to a few ladies who thought stigma about being seen at a foodbank could be the reason.
“It’s a tight-knit community — perhaps there was a concern about going to the foodbank on their doorstep.
“I think people prefer to pick up their parcels in town and go home.”
Ken said that, despite the lack of use of the Ardler centre, foodbanks were still in high demand in the city.
He said: “This year’s statistics haven’t yet been released but our foodbanks are still as busy as ever.
“And there will be an increase over the winter months — there always is.
“I think 2016 will look similar to 2015 with a slight increase in usage, but it’s going to be very close. It would be nice to be able to say it’s peaked, as it’s been on a constant rise for years.”
Ken added that staff at the foodbank were anxiously awaiting the impact of the universal credit system of benefits, which is currently being rolled out across the city.