Plans to open 14th Coventry food bank

Coventry Foodbank said the cost of living had affected how much people could give to charity

A new food bank in Coventry is set to open this month as demand is so high.

The Christian Life Ministries church in Parkside will become Coventry Foodbank's 14th distribution centre.

Demand across the food bank's network increased by 15% this year and it now feeds at least 600 people per week.

But public donations are decreasing, the food bank has been running a deficit since March and this year it has given out 20 tonnes more stock than it has had in.

Project manager at Coventry Foodbank Hugh McNeill stated the cost of living and the Ukraine invasion had affected how much people could give to charity, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"People are having to make the decision, do I put this into the foodbank bin or keep for my family?" he said.

Mr McNeill stated: "We get people who are in employment coming to us, they tend to be employed on zero hours contracts or minimum hours."