Work on the first zine is under way
Last week I created this website pretty quickly when OFGEM officially announced the energy price cap increase on the 26th of August. We knew it was coming and what it would be, but hearing it officially left me feeling in pretty low spirits. I felt I had to do something. Something to help those who need it and simply posting the food bank pictures on Instagram to frankly not many people is not helping anyone. So after I quickly got the site up and running, I started mocking up a zine and contacted a printer that helped me with a piece of work that I put in for spring assessment with the university at the start of 2022 that was really the beginning of The Food Bank Photo Project. My aim with the project as it currently stands is that sales of the zine help purchase food for those who need it via a donation to the Trussel Trust in my area with a portion going back into the project to further fund the printing of new copies/reprints which in turn lead to further donations, further printing and so on.
Work on this project is going to continue to move forward as I continue my studies with the OCA and most likely beyond as I, unfortunately, do not see the need for food banks and communities having to help each other out going away any time soon. I hope that as I continue work on the project, the number of food bank sites does not grow beyond what it is currently at (some 2800 across the UK) but rather over time, the number of sites used diminishes. I guess we will have to see where things go as today we have a new prime minister who is promising changes that they will “Deliver, deliver, deliver” but what they will deliver or how they will deliver is still to be announced.
For now, I have just got back from the printers and the first test print is looking great. I have a few adjustments to make, but it is almost there. My hope is I can shift this first print run quickly and easily, but I am also acutely aware that potentially no copies will sell and this may end up not working out. What I do know is that I want to try to help out!
