"We're desperate, it is getting worse…we’ve not got enough to give out."

A volunteer has made a plea for help after supplies at a Radcliffe food bank have reached a new low.

Gill Smith said that more people have been coming in and less have been donating which has put Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe, in this position.

She said: “We are desperate it's just getting worse and worse every week.

“This morning (Thursday) we have already had three new referrals.

Bury Times: (Left) Current supplies in the foodbank (Right) Supplies earlier last year (Left) Current supplies in the foodbank (Right) Supplies earlier last year (Image: Public)

“Every week we're getting more new people needing to use the food bank.

"With fuel and electric priced so high, when people have paid their bills they can't afford food.”

In lockdown, the food bank saw a huge amount of support and had more stacked-up tins of soup than they knew what to do with.  

Now, there aren't enough tins to stack and Gill is having to ask for donations every week.

She said: “It's been a big decrease in donations, people can't give like they used to during Covid.

“We used to get so much support, it was amazing and now I'm having to put a post out every week to say please please please can you spare anything, even if it's just one tin.”

After opening on Thursday morning, Gill found out there would be three more families to feed.

Not knowing how she would be feeding them, Gill posted for help on Facebook.Bury Times: Gill Smith with volunteers Gill Smith with volunteers (Image: Public)

The foodbank had no meat products like hot dogs or meatballs, no tinned veg, and their cereal boxes had almost run out.

She said: “That's the kind of thing the families with few children like so we always want to give a family a box of cereal but now we can't.

“Sometimes we can't give people milk because we've just not got enough and it's just dire.

 “We've never turned anybody away, we always seem to manage to give them something even if it's a bit of a strange mix of things but we always try to give them something.”

Bury Times: Shelves are almost empty at the Radcliffe Foodbank Shelves are almost empty at the Radcliffe Foodbank (Image: Public)

Depending on the benefits package, the foodbank use to give out parcels every week, this has now become every two weeks and in some cases, once a month because they don’t have enough food.

Trinity Foodbank is still seeking donations and received a welcome response after their post on Facebook this morning. 

Gill received a "heartwarming" response as people who couldn’t get to the foodbank sent bank transfers so they could stock up from supermarkets to feed those in need.

The food bank is still in desperate need of donations which can be food or money, anyone wanting more information or to donate can click here.

Read similar articles below: 

If you have a story tweet @BuryTimes or @Heywoodharriet_ or email Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk.