What is your opinion on food bank users?

Unfortunate circumstances because of Labour policies making people dependent on welfare, then told to work and they won't so benefits are reduced/stopped hence SOME of them at food banks. I said SOME not all. Some are poor sadly.

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It was the local homeless connection in my town, I did it during November-January as during the winter months they need the most help usually. I'd really recommend it for anyone to volunteer or help out at a shelter if they ever get a chance to because it can change your perspective on things I think.
The homeless shelter had a limit of 28 days someone could stay (for most cases) so they were trying to find him accommodation to go into and he moved to YMCA and was going to try and find another job. I honestly think the middle aged men draw the shortest straw though when it comes to being given council housing or social housing. Priority often goes to those with children and women from what I saw

They're not too strict on how many hours you should put in volunteering with them! The one in my town were just grateful for any hours you could put in to help out, so I'd come back at the weekend from uni and volunteer, then during the Christmas holidays I dedicated much more time as I was free.
Yup they do require a reference and they'll usually give you some basic training as well and general advice on how to handle some situations. You shouldn't need a CRB check though. And you can either do more hands on volunteering at the shelter or more admin stuff providing advice, managing donations etc if you want. It really is a shame though you are right :/

it is sad that they have to rely on handouts as a result of chronic mismanagement of our country's affairs by Labor governments.

I love how you've managed to blame this on Labour when the rise on food bank use happened after the Conservatives got into power in 2010. Benefit restrictions and unfair sanctions are a big part of why people use food banks, and the Conservatives were not forced to do that, given how little money (in the grand scheme of things) benefits cost. The Conservatives are more to blame for it than Labour.

It's called (my towns name) homeless connection. I'm not sure if they have that charity in every city though, but every city/ big town should have some kind of homeless charity and yeah it sounds like yours might be Foyer. You could always pop down there or give them an email to ask them a bit more about what they do and how you can get involved there were quite a few alcoholics and drug addicts there, they were really encouraged though to go to Alcoholics Anonymous and an addiction support group which was ran on a weekly basis in another venue

This.

People are sanctioned for trivial reasons due to pressure from above. Homelessness has risen massively since 2010 as well.

Awww that's okay I think it's a great thing to try out, I'm doing Medicine

Imperial and I just saw your profile aspiring medical student snap!

The problem isn't really the economy. It is that food inflation has been massive. In the past 10 years my Freddo bar has gone from 10p to 25p. So food inflation and benefit cuts. I don't see them a scrounger or anything, I just think they are choosing not to spend their money on food, when they could get it cheaper. As when people have less money they need to choose what they spend it. For heating and electric they can't get charity, but for food they can. So it is people choosing to do it. I don't see the rise in food banks as a terrible disaster or indictment of the nation or whatever. It happens when the government can't provide something which people need. As the government is in a very bad way with all the debt and deficit.

Amazing yet isolating at times too. Definitely caring enough, you're getting the hospital experience and working with patients as well. Working as a HCA also tends to give you a lot of scenarios to talk about in your interview (e.g give me a time when you... Worked in a time, worked under pressure, something went wrong/you made a mistake, etc)

The problem isn't really the economy. It is that food inflation has been massive. In the past 10 years my Freddo bar has gone from 10p to 25p. So food inflation and benefit cuts. I don't see them a scrounger or anything, I just think they are choosing not to spend their money on food, when they could get it cheaper. As when people have less money they need to choose what they spend it. For heating and electric they can't get charity, but for food they can. So it is people choosing to do it.

I don't see the rise in food banks as a terrible disaster or indictment of the nation or whatever. It happens when the government can't provide something which people need. As the government is in a very bad way with all the debt and deficit.