Demand sees St Ives food bank plea for Christmas donations

St Ives Food Bank, set up in 2013, covers St Ives and the surrounding villages

Staff at a food bank say the service will need three tonnes of donations to make it to the end of December alone.

The food bank at St Ives, Cambridgeshire, is facing a financial deficit of £6,000 in running costs this Christmas.

The team at All Saints Parish Church said donations of food and money have dropped away, compared to 2022.

The food bank has already given out more than 17 tonnes of supplies and helped 745 people this year.

Food bank manager, Callum Dickerson, said demand for basic food parcels was at an all-time high.

"This year we have already given out five tonnes more in donations than we have received, meaning that we have had to use cash funds to buy in food to support clients," he said.

"The people we help come from a range of circumstances, from those struggling with sickness or disability to those who have been made unemployed or whose costs of living have risen beyond their income.

"Christmas is always a tricky time for some, and we want to do all we can to make sure people in need have enough food to eat this winter."

The food bank runs a delivery service and a pop-up café for users - and the wider community.

Food bank stores and distribution manager, Fr Gary Evans, said these services rely on community aid.

"This provides a much-needed warm space as well as the chance to see a friendly face," he said.

"However, in order to keep these services going we really need to ensure food donations keep coming in as well as cash donations that fund our overheads, to keep the service running."