Shrewsbury homeless charity's appeal for food as demand rises

The Shrewsbury Ark relies entirely on donations and is appealing for items such as sugar, tinned tomatoes, pasta and jam

A charity that provides food and shelter for vulnerable people says it is in desperate need of donations.

Shrewsbury Ark says about 50 people now walk through its doors each day, but volunteers are struggling to feed them as their "cupboards are bare".

Within the past year, food and utility bills "quadrupled", charity chair Emily Bell told BBC Shropshire.

The group relies entirely on donations and is now appealing for items such as sugar, pasta and tinned vegetables.

"We cook 25 breakfasts and 50 lunches each day, that's a massive increase on anything we've seen in the past," Ms Bell said.

The charity took to Facebook to share pictures of its empty cupboards in an appeal for help

She added: "Most of the people that come to us are in temporary accommodation with no facilities to cook and are often one step away from being homeless on the streets.

"There are only about seven or eight people who are rough sleeping in Shrewsbury at the moment, but there is a much larger number of people who are on the edge and don't have a means to provide for themselves.

"Those are the people that we working hard to help keep them off the streets."

'Bills have quadrupled'

The organisation relocated to a larger premises in Castle Foregate, in March last year, but says this led to an increase in costs.

The chair of the charity added: "With energy and food bills going up we knew there were going to be increased costs but it has quadrupled in terms of what we had accounted for so we really do struggle.

"The response that we get from the Shropshire community is always so heart-warming."

The Ark offers a range of other practical help and services and is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 until 14:00.