Christmas time is often a time of over-indulgence; but spare a thought for those who may be awake at night worrying about the cost of buying presents for their loved ones, or worse still, unable to feed their families or themselves over the festive period.

Sadly, local support is needed more than ever, say the Somer Valley Foodbank, which last December provided 303 three day emergency food supplies to local people in crisis, 155 of which went to children.

They are expecting a 10% increase in numbers this year, and, following a campaign to help feed families over the summer holidays a few months ago, such was the take up, that their local warehouse supplies decreased by over a half.

During December, The Journal will be printing a weekly list of supplies needed for the Somer Valley Foodbank, with donations of tinned tuna, tinned fruit, fruit juice and UHT milk particularly needed. Cereals, beans, pasta, rice and even supplies such as pet food, nappies, kitchen and toilet rolls and women’s sanitary products are also in demand.

Donations can be dropped at the Salvation Army Hall, Midsomer Norton on Mondays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Radstock at the SWALLOW café on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Paulton Methodist Church in the foyer and also at Peasedown Methodist Church. From Thursday to Saturday this week, Tesco shoppers will be greeted by volunteers who will be handing out lists of supplies needed and asking local people to consider donating an item as part of their weekly shop. As part of this, Tesco will be topping up the donation made by the public by 20%, which will help generate vital funds. Readers can also donate money by visiting: www.somervalley.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money The biggest outlay for the Somer Valley Foodbank is storage at over £500 per month, and relies solely on grants and generous donations.

Covering the costs of increasingly cold weather and having children at home during the school holidays can make December a difficult time for many people. When this is paired with something unavoidable, like a delayed benefit payment, illness or levels of benefits not covering the costs of essentials, people can be pushed into crisis.

The Somer Valley Foodbank is a member of the Trussell Trust network, which says that Foodbanks across the UK see a sharp spike in demand over December compared to the rest of the year. The Somer Valley Foodbank is encouraging anyone planning to support their work this Christmas to donate as soon as possible, to ensure that stretched volunteers have enough time to process and distribute generous donations during the lead-up to Christmas.

Paul Woodward, local Foodbank Manager, said: “Every year, the Foodbank sees an increase in demand in December, but based on the help people have already needed this year, we think the lead-up to Christmas could be particularly busy.

“It’s not right that anyone in the area needs a Foodbank at any time of year. We are working with other Foodbanks across the country to campaign for long-term change, so hopefully we can reach a future where no one needs us.

“Whilst that work is underway, we will do all we can to make sure local people at risk of hunger this Christmas get crucial support.”

Paul told The Journal that they are seeing a wide range of people locally accessing support and more families needing help than ever before, for a variety of different reasons. The team of volunteers not only help distribute food from vouchers brought to them issued by local agencies, including schools, but also offer a listening ear for problems over a cup of tea and signposting to other resources for help if needed.

He said: “There is no let up and no trend as to who needs support. You can’t say that it is one thing that is responsible for people in crisis – Universal credit, redundancy, there are all sorts of reasons. Less than 10% will come back to use more than three vouchers; you will find the majority of people receive two and get back on their feet.

“We see people from all walks of life and from ages sixteen to ninety plus, but the number of people we support is increasing, without a doubt.”

There are 81 volunteers across five teams locally, giving around two hours a month. Volunteers must be aged eighteen and over – please contact the Somer Valley Foodbank if you would like to be involved.

Whilst Christmas treat donations are welcome, volunteers are urging people to check expiry dates carefully and not to overwhelm supplies with items such as Christmas puddings – as they end up being distributed all year round if there are too many! The Foodbank also tries to follow a distribution list set by dieticians to help promote healthy eating on a budget. For more details, visit: www.somervalleyfoodbank.org.uk