Ripon 'Superwoman' Helen Mackenzie says ‘struggle can happen to anyone’ as families choose to ‘heat or eat'

With seemingly no end to the cost of living, rising prices have left many families deciding whether to ‘eat or heat’ .

Originally the brainchild of Ripon friends Helen Mackenzie and Sarita McDermott back in 2019, Back to Basics is now run solely by Mrs Mackenzie.

With an aim to get families ‘Back to Basics' the scheme would encourage families to cook together, embracing healthier, and cheaper batch cooking styles.

Former PE teacher Mrs Mackenzie, 57 has helped more than 45 families and currently supports 14 more (around 48 adults and children) delivering packages to homes during difficult times.

Mrs Mackenzie said: “It was putting meat on the bones of ‘God, it must be really hard!’

“We didn’t want to be a soup kitchen.

“We felt cooking skills had skipped an entire generation.

“Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime, rather than give him one and he will be hungry in an hour.

“It was, and still is, hard to find those genuinely struggling as I couldn’t ask schools for their poorest families.

“I somehow needed to reach those below the breadline.

“The hardest thing for most people is asking for help.

“But I can't help people if they don’t ask.

“There's a stigma, people can take pride in coping alone, whilst our culture throws blame on the wrong people, the poor.

Back to Basics is a food charity while providing anything it can to support people such as duvets, toiletries, or appliances to take the pressure off.

Mrs Mackenzie – dubbed a Superwoman by a mum who used her service – read out an apologetic message asking for her help after being hit with an unexpected difficult time and said: “My friend had to give her focus elsewhere so it became just me.

“It felt important I kept it going.

“Even when limited to buying two portions of anything during lockdown people were so generous.

“I sell things and raise funds constantly, put it towards Back to Basics.

“If there’s a chance to buy a load of half price products I store them, but there’s a limit to how much I can afford, and store.”

Food prices have risen over 30% with no end in sight, not to mention fuel prices and cuts on workforce numbers across the country.

Mrs Mackenzie said traders had been “absolutely amazing” when it came to donating fresh food at cost price, with an endless list of people to thank from Ripon’s close community.

While Ripon may appear from the outside as a wealthy Cathedral city, Mrs Mckenzie said there are many professional working families struggling to make ends meet.

Mrs Mackenzie added: “People in full time skilled work couldn’t afford the basics.

“One woman didn’t think she’d have presents for her children under the tree and burst into tears.

“Wearing five layers instead of heating the house – there doesn’t seem to be an end to it all.

“There are many cases of people who experience sudden misfortune, it really can happen to anyone.”