A DESPERATE appeal has been launched by Wadebridge food bank, begging for items for its emergency parcels.

The recent cold weather has seen one local charity experience a surge in the need for its services.

Wadebridge food bank has given out a total of 21 food parcels in December and 12 so far in January.

Project co-ordinator Jacqui White explained: "Winter is often a difficult time for those on low incomes, but to be honest we hadn't anticipated this sort of rise in demand for our services.

"The recent extreme weather has led to those on already low incomes having to spend a higher than average proportion of their income on heating and lighting their homes.

"Some people have not been able to feed themselves or their families."

The Foodbank, part of a national network run by The Trussell Trust, opened in April, serving Wadebridge town and the surrounding rural areas.

It works by exchanging a voucher, distributed by a local statutory or voluntary organisation, for a food parcel, supplying people with three days' worth of nutritionally balanced dried and tinned food in order to tide them over in an emergency.

Vouchers can be obtained from doctors, midwife or health visitor, local schools and churches, children's centres, social services and other voluntary organisations.

It is available for anyone living in Wadebridge and the surrounding area, and is not benefits related.

Jacqui said: "While we are pleased that the project has been a success and is meeting a genuine local need, it is sad to think there are so many people in our local communities who have to make choices between either keeping warm or eating.

"If you can help by donating some food, we can as a community continue to help each other."

The food bank now urgently needs donations of in-date, un-opened and undamaged dried and tinned foods, particularly cereal, long life milk and fruit juice and tinned meats and fish to keep helping those in need.

Items can be dropped into the food bank drop-in session at Wadebridge Christian Centre, top of Molesworth Street on a Tuesday morning or a Thursday afternoon, or to Little Acorns Baby and Toddler group at Wadebridge Christian Centre on a Friday morning.

For more information you should pay a visit to www.wadebridgefoodbank.org

● Any organisation, club or society that would like to organise a collection or would like a presentation on the work of the food bank should contact Jacqui on 01208 813110.