SWINDON Foodbank is gearing up to give a little extra help to families facing a crisis this Christmas.

The Foodbank, which was set up in 2006, offers food parcels to individuals and families who find themselves without the means to buy food and other essentials.

Andrew Hill, who became the project manager for the charity earlier this year, said tit continued to rely on donations throughout the Christmas period, when hampers would be given to those in need.

He said: “I think it must be horrendous to fall into crisis at this time of year. It’s always awful to find yourself in crisis but I think if you are a parent, particularly of younger children, it must be awful.

“If you have children who can see what other families are doing at around Christmas time it can be very difficult if you can’t afford to give them the same kind of Christmas, especially if the children don’t really understand why not.”

As well as the usual food parcels of tins and dried food, recipients coming in for help in early December will also be given a small hamper of goodies to help brighten even the most desperate of Christmases.

Andrew said: “There will also be Christmas hampers which will have things like a box of chocolates and a nice tin of biscuits and some Pringles or some nice crisps and we’ll be handing them out during the second week of December.

“We’re also looking for donations of toiletries because we’ve started offering little bags of toiletries essentials, including toothbrush, toothpaste, ball deodorant, shower gel, loo roll and two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Our stocks of these are very low at the moment so we’re desperate for more donations.

“We began offering these earlier this year since many of the people who come in here may be in crisis but still want to keep up appearances and may be going to interviews for new jobs and things but don’t have these basic things.

“We’re really for those people who fall through the cracks between maybe losing their job or breaking up with a partner and the six weeks or so before their benefit might come in.

“We don’t help the obvious people. We visit people who need our help, might live in a house and drive a car, and they just need a bit of help to help them get by.”

This year the Foodbank anticipates it will have helped about 6,000 people, about the same as last year.

It has also opened new satellite distribution centres in Highworth and Rodbourne Cheney to continue to meet demand.

The foodbank relies on donations.

Anyone able to help can find out more at www.swindonfood bank.co.uk.