Congratulations to the local churches in Waltham Abbey who have responded to the most basic of human needs, that of being able to adequately feed one's family, by opening and running the second food bank here in Epping Forest (as reported in last week’s Speaking Out column).

This is an important part of Christian witness and as it says in James Chapter 2 verse 20, “faith without deeds is useless”.

But to my mind it does also raise two further thoughts / questions: Why in 2014, in relatively prosperous Epping Fores,t we as a society have reached a situation where two food banks are necessary - one in the Abbey and the other in Loughton.

And, secondly it does challenge the much repeated mantra of austerity that we are all in this together.

It seems to me that something is radically wrong somewhere when we have local families reliant on the use of food banks.

Cllr Stephen Murray Independent, Loughton, Roding Ward