Ellesmere Port based West Cheshire Foodbank, which opened its doors in 2012, says it has still not come close to meeting the local demand for emergency food.

In its May newsletter the foodbank reveals use continues to rise.

New statistics are said to show a further increase in the number of three-day emergency food parcels provided by foodbanks within The Trussell Trust’s national network which includes West Cheshire.

The foodbank describes itself as ‘a local charity that focuses on responding to local need and being a catalyst for community action’.

It calls for the debate on food poverty ‘to be rooted in the evidence and to reflect the experiences of local people who are struggling with poverty’.

About 60 people volunteer with the foodbank every week working across its different centres, the warehouse and the admin office.

The foodbank works with almost 50 different front-line care organisations which refer people to them to provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to those in crisis.

The newsletter says: “Since we opened our doors in 2012 the demands on us as a charity have grown rapidly and we have still not come close to meeting the local demand for emergency food.

“The evidence is so overwhelming that people in our communities can no longer be in any doubt that their neighbours in West Cheshire are going hungry.

“Most people now agree that food poverty is a scandal and must be eliminated.

“But in 2017 your local foodbank is likely to receive and distribute more food than ever before.”

It reveals a new study has shown that foodbanks in areas of full Universal Credit rollout to single people, couples and families have seen a 16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food, more than double the national average of 6.64%.

“With work becoming increasingly insecure and without a welfare system that works for everyone we have to plan to meet greater need than ever before,” it says.

“To achieve our vision we need local supporters to raise £80,000 every year until 2020. We’ll be launching both a ‘Churches Friendship Network’ and a ‘Business Network’ soon to make sure that we can establish ‘Meeting Places’ across our area.

“Our work will contribute to a wider pilot project co-ordinated by a new umbrella organisation called the Welcome Network that we have worked to establish and which is expected to become a member of the national organisation ‘Feeding Britain’.

The foodbank concludes: “Nothing can mask the sad reality that we’re only here because people are going hungry.

“But we hope you will support us as we seek solutions that give people dignity and work for food justice.”