Daventry Food Bank reports referrals up by a third

Ange Gee, co-founder of Daventry Food Bank, said the generosity of local people helped it cope with demand

A food bank said the number of referrals to its service had gone up by almost a third in the past year.

Daventry Food Bank in Northamptonshire handled 1,704 cases in 2023 - up from 1,321 the previous year.

Its volunteers handed out a total of 60,900 meals, worth about £75,500.

Co-founder Ange Gee said it would not have been able to cope with the increased demand if local people had not been so generous with donations of food and toiletries.

Daventry's food bank is based in an old school caretaker's cottage

In a converted school caretaker's house, volunteers have been sorting through hundreds of tins, packets and bottles of food to supply to increasing numbers of families struggling to put food on the table.

Ms Gee said: "Because of the cost of living crisis, we are seeing more and more things that are hitting everyday households in ways that they never expected."

The food bank, run by the Vineyard Church, has seen the number of referrals rise dramatically each year, with the 2023 total up by 383 on the previous year.

The number of children involved in family referrals has broken the 2,000 barrier - up from 1,543 in 2022, a figure which Ms Gee described as "horrific".

The food bank relies on donations from companies, schools, voluntary groups and individuals

Many of the food bank's clients are people with jobs who earn both too much and too little at the same time.

Ms Gee said: "It's horrible because some schools call them 'the working poor' - those people who are working and bringing in money, too much to receive any benefits but not enough to actually live on."

Loz Bigrave was one of the people who helped the food bank over Christmas - his Lego display funded 50 Lego sets for deprived children

She added that the food bank relied on donations of food, toiletries and money from local businesses, community groups and individuals.

"We are so incredibly blessed by our community - and that's from the single person living on their own to the businesses, the organisations, the community groups - they are all giving to us."

A government spokesperson said: "We know that high inflation is worrying for families and businesses, which is why halving it is our top priority.

"In the meantime, we are helping households with one of the largest support packages in Europe."