Food banks visitors having to walk 'several miles'
BBCPeople living in rural areas who are struggling to put food on the table are finding it difficult to access the help they need, charities have said.
At the StoreHouse food bank in Barnard Castle, County Durham, volunteers said some people walk "several miles" to collect food.
Andrea Wellings, the food bank's community co-ordinator, said many "will leave bags they can't carry - they'll fill a rucksack and that's all they can go away with".
Durham County Council said it recognised the cost of travel and limited access to transport, in some cases, can be a "barrier for people on low incomes in rural areas" and it is working to develop "practical solutions that improve access to support".
"We see a lot of people getting on the bus or walking here and getting the bus back because they don't want to carry the heavy bags all the way back," Wellings said.
"It's just another level of tired on top of the tired you're already feeling of everything you're having to deal with."
Lynn Gowling, a StoreHouse volunteer who has previously used the food bank, said the weight of food determined what people took.
"A lot of them take out a lot of heavy stuff because it can end up where the bags will split," she said.
TCR Hub delivers food to people who cannot get to its base in Barnard Castle, including older people who do not drive and families struggling with household bills.
The service, which previously delivered every week, has now been reduced to every fortnight because of rising costs and fewer donations.
The hub's community lead Sarah Gent said poverty in the area could be difficult to spot.
"There's a lot of wealth in Teesdale, quite a lot of people come here to retire, it's beautiful," she said.
"But there is also poverty and it's hidden in a lot of ways because of our postcodes in some areas in the Dale."
Gent said the area had communities with a history of economic hardship, while the cost and availability of public transport could add to the difficulties faced by those on low incomes.
"There's definitely issues around poverty in Teesdale," she said.
"The gaps are still there. We can't fill them but we can help them along."
Volunteer Rosie Bettison, who helps prepare food parcels, said the deliveries could have a significant emotional impact on the people receiving them.
"Sometimes you hear very touching stories and there are just tears of gratitude," she said.
A spokesperson for the county council said: "We have supported the introduction of a range of discounted bus fares to help address this, in addition to the national bus fare cap.
"We are also working with local partners to identify challenges facing rural communities.
"Our aim is to develop practical solutions that improve access to support and strengthen community resilience."
