Families in parts of rural England say they have become totally dependent on volunteers delivering food to them during the coronavirus crisis.
About 1.5 million households are at least a half-hour round trip from a food store on foot or by public transport, government data suggest.
In urban areas, the average is less than 15 minutes, excluding time in the shop.
The Countryside Alliance said local food volunteers were “plugging gaps” in rural communities.
Under lockdown restrictions, shopping for food is one of only four reasons why people are allowed to leave their home.
In rural England, many households face long distances to go food shopping, which becomes more difficult if a family has to self-isolate because of COVID-19.
“Without these deliveries from volunteers my children would starve,” said Catherine Boyes, a mother of six who lives on a farm on the edge of the North York Moors National Park.
She said she had struggled to get a regular delivery from a supermarket due to surging demand and is reliant on the Pickering Help Network to deliver supplies.
“My eldest son has cystic fibrosis so we can’t go to the shops and risk coming into contact with this hideous disease,” she said.
“This crisis really has brought out how isolated we are.”
Families across the country are facing difficulties receiving regular home deliveries from the big supermarkets.
Tesco has said it will not be able to meet all requests for home deliveries.
Sainsbury’s has said it will prioritise vulnerable people for delivery slots while Asda has said if people can shop safely in stores they should do so to free up deliveries for those who need them.
Source:Â bbc.com