WITH user numbers soaring, the district’s food bank has doubled the number of volunteers to meet demand over the Christmas period.

West Northumberland Food Bank this week launched its Christmas appeal, and has catered for the increase in demand by taking on its 50th volunteer support worker.

Project manager Sam Gilchrist said “We’ve just recruited 25 new volunteer support workers to join our team.

“What we’re trying to do is have more time with people, because what we see is people in persistent poverty for more than two years. We want to make sure they’re not isolated.

“We’re after luxury Christmas items that people can’t always afford, like chocolate and biscuits and cakes, and gifts for the adults.”

The food bank has also teamed up with Hexham’s BP Garage to collect Christmas gifts for children. Youngsters who access the service write down what they would like to receive on the back of a paper angel, which will be displayed in the garage.

Customers can then buy a wrapped gift and the food bank will ensure it “makes it to Santa on time”.

Sam’s daughter, Rosie, runs Hexham Children and Baby Bank, which distributes donated clothes to families with young children who are struggling financially. The clothing bank is asking for brand new Christmas pyjamas to give to families.

Sam was also keen to stress that the food bank does not operate solely in Hexham.

She added: “Local people have donated at least £23,000 worth of food in Prudhoe. In the last year, we’ve helped 113 households in Prudhoe.

“Fifty were coming for the first time, and 60 of them were families, with 136 children between them. I’m really concerned that there’s children living in poverty.”

Hexham Courant: A graph showing the reasons food bank users access the service. Customers can specify more than one reason. A graph showing the reasons food bank users access the service. Customers can specify more than one reason.

Jane Curry, a food bank user for more than a year, praised the service. The mother-of-two said: “It’s been hard. We moved here a year ago and, with moving costs and having to catch up on rent, I’ve had to use it frequently for a year. It’s been a struggle.

“If it wasn’t here, we wouldn’t have survived. It would have been a choice between heating or feeding ourselves.”