South Holland foodbanks continue to meet the needs of the area

Volunteers from foodbanks in South Holland have thanked the public and businesses for their help at a time of soaring demand nationally.

Fruit, vegetables, bread, salad donated by farmers, growers and members of the public have allowed hundreds of families to be fed during a time of national crisis.

Figures from the Trussell Trust, a charity supporting more than 1,200 foodbank centres in the UK, showed that demand for food parcels had gone up by 89 per cent in April, compared to the same month last year.

Debbie Reynolds, a volunteer at Gosberton Foodbank, said: "We currently distribute to about 70 households in Surfleet, Gosberton, Gosberton Clough, Gosberton Risegate, Quadring and parts of Donington.

"We get about one new referral for help from us per week, often through Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire or Lincolnshire County Council Social Services.

"Our foodbank is doing very well and still going strong, having received large financial donations from the county council, South Holland District Council, Quadring and Gosberton Parish Councils and, of course, Gosberton Parish Church.

"Many individuals across our parishes have also donated items and everyone has been so generous.

"Bags and bags of groceries have been dropped off at the vicarage and left in the church porch for our volunteer packers to collect.

"We also collect unsold bread, vegetables and salad from Tesco in Holbeach every Sunday, Princes Foods in Long Sutton has given us a large stock of beans, soup and pulses, while local farmers have supplied potatoes, onions and cabbages.

"We do feel very supported by our local communities and feel very blessed for having such wonderful people living near us."

Irene Davies, of Agapecare Foodbank Spalding, said: "We've had quite a few people offering their help during lockdown, especially with delivering parcels and picking up donations from supermarkets or the general public.

"Nothing has been too much trouble for them and they have been wonderful in keeping our service going, while many of our usual volunteers have been self- isolating and our usual operating system has been disrupted.

"At our satellite centres in Crowland and Long Sutton, over 500 adults and children have been helped, while in Spalding, we have seen an increase in people coming for food parcels because they have little or no employment, especially agency workers.

"The donations from the community have been magnificent and continuous throughout lockdown.

"We are so grateful to all who have donated so generously to the foodbanks in these difficult times.

"As fast as these donations have been received, they have been given out and so we've been able to meet the needs of people in our community."