Is Austerity Hurting North Dorset?

How are the austerity measures affecting North Dorset? Food bank clients who are going hungry will be telling it like it is at an event in Gillingham this month.

Community leaders will answer questions from the public at a Question Time to be chaired by Bishop of Sherborne, the Rt Rev Dr Graham Kings.

During the second part of the evening – which takes place in the Methodist Hall – the audience will hear about the real-life struggles of some of our least well-off citizens in these difficult times.

The evening is being organised by the Social Justice Group (Diocese of Salisbury) and Gillingham Food Bank.

Food bank manager Hannah Gibbons said: “People are struggling when benefits change – it takes time to change from one benefit to another and people are often left with no income.

“It takes six to eight weeks to get it going again and what do people do in that time? How do they put food on the table?

“We hope the event will raise awareness and people will see what’s happening in other people’s lives.”

Hannah added that she hoped that what was heard from her clients would affect the decision makers in the community who had power over people’s lives.

Come along and have your say on Friday March 28 at 5pm at Gillingham Methodist Hall. Light refreshments will be served.