A FOOD BANK dedicated to providing supplies for families in distress said its £1,000 grant comes at the perfect time.

The Community Emergency Food Bank, based in St Francis Church in Hollow Way, said the number of people using their service had recently jumped.

Founder Jane Benyon, above, said: “We usually get about 100 to 120 people a month. But in March, we had 147 people use our facilities, which was a big jump.

“I think suddenly people are losing their jobs, seeing how the cuts are affecting them.

“And things are getting tighter, as there have been changes to benefits and the price of everything is going up.

“People are struggling and I think they are very grateful that we are there.”

The food bank started in April 2008. More than 15 volunteers collect non-perishable food from churches, community groups and the universities, and give it to people in need.

Mrs Benyon, a former social worker, said: “We get people from all walks of life. They might just be at a low point in their lives, caused by all kinds of situations. It is extraordinary how much the people who use us vary. We get people from all sorts of backgrounds.

“People just find themselves in the situation where something has gone wrong and cash to buy food is just suddenly hard to come by.

“If you have a hungry family, you need more then and there, and don’t have it.”

The £1,000 will be spent on providing a van to transport their food and goods around.

Mrs Benyon said: “We are thinking down the lines of buying a vehicle, as at the moment, we rely on people using their family cars to transport food around.

“I think it would give us more of a presence in the city.”

She added: “We were very excited and pleased to get the money. We were not very hopeful, as we know lots of people applied, so it was a nice surprise.

“Very often people just come once or twice until they are back on their feet. After they have gone, we never see them again, but it is nice to know we are making a difference.”

One woman using the foodbank said: “The food bank has been invaluable to my family. Without them, I do not know what we would have done.”

The food bank runs every Tuesday and Friday from midday until 2pm.