The 'shell shock' and 'shame' of Leominster food bank users

Kathy Bland, manager of the food bank, said the service was seeing chronic need

Users of a food bank where there is an "unprecedented" increase in demand report feelings of "shell shock" and "shame" to rely on it.

The service is based at Leominster's The Priory Rooms, which also shares surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away.

The number of food parcels given out last year was more than double the year before, said organisers.

One user said her "shell shock" was from finding herself poor in adulthood.

The mum-of-three said she needed the provision despite being a full-time worker.

Leominster Food Bank says it is unsure how to cope with the growing demand in the town, one of the most deprived in England.

Parts of Leominster are among the top 25% poorest-off areas nationally.

Kerry said she sometimes felt ashamed to rely on the service

Another service user, a mum-of-two, Carly, said she had "no choice" but to visit it.

"I'm struggling to pay the bills," she said.

Kerry, also a user, said she felt "ashamed", adding: "But then it's all right, because they reassure you that everything is ok and you're meant to be here [for help]."

Volunteers said during one week in December the number of people they helped amounted to 2% of the town's population.

"What we're seeing is chronic need," said Kathy Bland, manager.

"People are beginning to need to depend on food banks and it shouldn't be normal to have to do that, we shouldn't be offering an alternative to the welfare system or to a living wage.

"People should be able to afford to live with the money they have coming in."

Mum-of-three Emma said she was shell shocked to have to rely on the scheme

Mum-of-three Emma, a support worker at Hereford Hospital, says she has to rely on Food Share and occasionally the food bank.

She works 45 hours per week and her partner has two jobs.

"I grew up poor, so [being back there], it's been a bit of a shell shock," she said.

"I don't want my kids growing up like I did so we just try and do anything just to get through."

She said she was starting a university course in order to achieve "higher pay", but added: "I really don't know how we would quite manage without fruit and veg coming in from [the food bank], so it's quite a lifesaver."

Hannah Lewis of Central Bakery said there was "a lot" of poverty that was visible even on the main street

Hannah Lewis, manager of family-run Central Bakery which supplies to the food bank, said: "They come in and have products from us that have been donated by the public."

She added: "There's people begging on the street and people put money aside for certain people who have no home.

"So you can tell just from being on the main street that there's a lot of poverty."