More than one in 10 people in East Renfrewshire are struggling to afford or access food as financial problems hit hard, according to a new report.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have used data from a survey commissioned by the Food Foundation to identify ‘food insecurity’ at a local authority scale.

According to the data, more than four per cent of residents in East Renfrewshire were estimated to be hungry in January this year, with 11% struggling to access food.

More than 8% of local people said they were also worried about not having enough food that month.

The data has been used to produce a new interactive map that aims to shed light on areas across Scotland being hit hardest by food insecurity.

Overall, East Renfrewshire was ranked 13th highest out of Scotland’s 32 council areas when it comes to the percentage of households experiencing severe food insecurity, with Inverclyde said to have the biggest problem.

The new analysis also aims to demonstrate that not everyone living with food insecurity experiences hunger on the same level, with some people having to actively plan to go without food or worrying about doing so.

Dr Megan Blake, one of the researchers who collaborated on the work, said: “We hope this clear breakdown of the data will be a useful resource for local authorities and the government to use to address the challenges facing all people living with food insecurity and that help can be tailored and targeted to those communities who need it, as the answer is not as simple as opening more foodbanks.

“Food insecurity is undermining our chances of recovery after Covid-19. We need to urgently address this issue that pervades so many of our communities.

“No-one should have to be hungry.”

Between April and September last year, 986 grocery parcels were given out to cash-strapped parents by East Renfrewshire Foodbank as growing numbers relied on the Barrhead facility.

This was up significantly from the previous year (2019) when a total of 819 food parcels were handed out by the centre in the same six-month period. This number was 20% more than in 2018.

To view the interactive map, click HERE.