HASLEMERE Food Bank volunteers reported a “depressing” rise in the number of families in need of help this Christmas which rose by more than a staggering 50 per cent last week.

Management group chairman David Rice said: “Last year we helped 44 families and so prepared to greet 50 this year.

“We were expecting a slight increase, as numbers generally have been going up since the recent changes in the benefit system.

“It has been upsetting to meet people whose income has been completely stopped for a few weeks because of some change in their circumstances.

“These emergencies used to last two or three weeks, but now routinely take six or seven weeks to resolve.

“In the event, 69 families turned up to our Christmas distribution and we had a message from one who could not make the journey.

“It was a scramble to find something for everyone but, thanks to a lot of hard work by our volunteers, we were able to offer help to them all.

“The whole experience lets us know how important it is that there is a Food Bank in Haslemere.

“Although we would like to feel that need is diminishing, it is instead on the increase. This time last year we were helping three or four families each week.

“At present, we are regularly seeing that number each time we are open.”

Haslemere Food Bank normally provides packs of food to families or individuals referred to it by one of the 25 with which it works.

The packs provide a three-day emergency supply of food and toiletries for people in crisis.

At Christmas, the management group invites the same agencies to refer people who do not fall into the “emergency” category but who nevertheless are struggling to make ends meet.

Volunteers extract all the Christmas-related goods, such as mince pies, cakes, fancy biscuits and puddings, from the collections of donations and make up special festive packs.

On the day, they also have a selection of gifts, clothes and toys from which people can select anything which will be of help to them.

The group is very grateful to residents from Haslemere and neighbouring villages, who donate all the things that make the special seasonal distribution possible.

Mr Rice and his team are also grateful to referral agencies, comprising health visitors, mental health support teams, schools and home-school workers, family support teams, and other organisations including health centres, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Three Counties Money Advice and churches – plus the Liphook Surgery.

The organisations all work with Haslemere Food Bank to ensure donated food gets to those people who need it most.

Mr Rice said: “We are extremely grateful to those volunteers who turn out for extra duties on what are two very hectic days.

“We have little space to store all these extra things and so it all has to be done at the last minute and not in ideal conditions.

“Nevertheless, the day itself always passes off with a deep sense of having dome something very worthwhile.

“Providing coffee and mince pies gives a festive atmosphere to something which otherwise could seem quite drear and depressing.

“The generosity of our donors makes all this possible. If people would like to help, there are collection points for donations in each of the churches, and in Waitrose and Tesco.

“Each of these places has a list of the things currently required. We regularly have a surplus of dried pasta and pasta sauce and of pulses.

“Some people very generously give very large packs of pasta, tea bags or cereals.

“Again, this is admirable but makes it difficult to make up packs which people can carry. A number of small packets are more practical.

“If anyone would like to volunteer, please email dna [email protected].

“All our volunteers have a brief induction introducing them to our policies and protocols.

“Our management group is made up of a handful of volunteers, all people who have first hand experience of the work of the food bank.”