Weston Foodbank has secured more than £9,000 of funding to increase the capacity of food it can offer people who rely on the charity.

The foodbank, on North Street, will also renovate its recently acquired warehouse which helps store produce.

Manager, Frederique Wigmore has welcomed the investment made by the Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Weston Mercury: Weston Foodbank volunteers Jenny Moore and Wendy Kelly pose with its new triple fridge.Weston Foodbank volunteers Jenny Moore and Wendy Kelly pose with its new triple fridge. (Image: Weston Foodbank)

Ms Wigmore said: "The grant from WRAP has enabled us to purchase a new freezer and a triple fridge so that we can now hold surplus bread, fresh milk, fruit and vegetables donated to us.

"This widens what we can include with our standard emergency food parcels for families and individuals facing a crisis point in their lives."

Last year, during the coronavirus pandemic, the charity provided more than 6,500 people with emergency food - with 40 per cent of these being children.

"We are excited by the prospects that this grant opens for us as we know that many of our clients appreciate the extra items we can sometimes offer.

"Now we are able to increase the sources of redistributed food to make our emergency parcels healthier and more varied."

Weston Mercury: Natalie Batchelor inside Weston Foodbank's warehouse.Natalie Batchelor inside Weston Foodbank's warehouse. (Image: Weston Foodbank)

The bulk of the foodbank's stock has since been moved from its North Street centre and any temporary additional storage locations it was using.

The funds also enabled the charity to purchase more personal protective equipment (PPE) for its staff, reducing the risk of spreading Covid-19 when delivering food, and shelving equipment for its new warehouse to which the lease was signed in September.

In total, a £9,329 grant was handed to Weston Foodbank by the WRAP charity.

Ms Wigmore added: "The grant received from WRAP is enabling us to continue and extend our work at a time when we are facing a substantial increase in the numbers of clients referred to us."

For more information on the foodbank or to find out how to donate to it, log on to www.westonsupermare.foodbank.org.uk