Hucknall and Bulwell food banks preparing to be a vital lifeline for many again this Christmas

And more than ever, they need the communities around them to rally together and support them with donations to help ensure the vulnerable in society don’t go hungry over the festive period.

Yvonne Campbell, from Hucknall food bank, said: "We expect to have many people coming in before Christmas and in the new year.

"We try to give a balanced selection of food with a mixture of meats and fish, vegetables, pasta and rice, sauces, desserts, soups and beans and they can choose from a variety goods to suit there own preferences.

“This means we do not waste food by giving them things they will not use.

“Many food banks are not as lucky as we are as we have a very supportive community who donate food and money to us.

"We have plenty of beans, soup, pasta, rice and teabags but what we are often short of is sugar, milk, tins of Frey Bentos meat pies, toilet rolls, custard, rice pudding, carrots, sweet corn, potatoes, washing powder and cleaning products.

“Many of those who use the food bank say how grateful they are and that they are a lifesaver when they are at their lowest and have no money to buy food for their family.

Nigel Webster, from Bestwood & Bulwell Food Bank, said: “It’s going to be very difficult again for many people this year, especially with energy prices going up, it’s going to be very tough still for a lot of people.

"We haven’t got time to count the number of referrals coming in but it will probably be a record number again.

"We’re also running short on stuff like milk and because so many people are now working from home, a lot of the people who do help us aren’t able to get together.

“A lot of the people who help us are also struggling to buy food for themselves and can’t afford to also buy food for us too.

"Of course there is still Covid as well, although we don’t actually deliver, we have people come to us and we try to tackle the underlying issues of why people come to a food bank in the first place.

"We want to help people move beyond needing a charity handout in the first place.”