Food bank use rises in Guernsey in December

The charity had an additional 59 people helping out in December

A record number of people have visited a food bank in Guernsey during December, a charity has said.

The Guernsey Welfare Service said it expected more than 500 people would need support with food during the Christmas period - with 526 using it so far.

It is a 7% increase on the use compared to 2022.

The charity has 52 volunteers to help with collecting, sorting and delivering food, as well as providing support at its centre.

Sue Le Friec, service Co-ordinator, said an extra 59 people had come to help out in December.

She said: "There's always an increased demand in December as more and more people come along, it's obviously the most expensive time of year.

"I think post Covid, we saw a massive rise in people needing our help, and that continued to steadily increase.

"We have had some tremendous support from the community for which we are very thankful."

Overall, the charity said 700 people had used the foodbank in 2023, compared to 693 in 2022.