WITH just four weeks to Christmas, some of the most disadvantaged people in Swindon are facing a miserable festive season.

Today the Adver launches its Buy Xtra For Xmas campaign to help the town’s foodbank make sure everyone has a bit of seasonal cheer this year.

The charity needs essentials like potatoes, sugar, tinned meat and puddings and it is hoping generous shoppers will also manage to throw in a few Christmas luxuries too, such as shampoos and soaps, that can fit inside their foodbank Christmas hampers.

By taping a £1 coin to the bottom of tins and packets of food, donors will also help cover the foodbank’s significant costs.

Organisers must raise £10,000 by the end of the financial year in March to keep their vans on the road.

Cher Smith, the manager of Swindon Foodbank, said: “We’ve got a shortage of potatoes, sugar, meat and puddings. We’ve got just enough to get us over Christmas, but we’re going to run out by January.”

Swindon Foodbank offers emergency support to those struggling to get by and will hand out three food parcels a person in a six-month period.

Last year it distributed 47 tonnes of food and foodbank managers say they have seen a rise in the number of people seeking help. In 2011 it fed 3,760 people and in 2016 it was 4,619. This year it expects to finish the year having fed 5,000.

Cher said: “This year has been particularly tough, because of the introduction of Universal Credit.”

Those who made their application for Universal Credit this month will not receive their cash before Christmas, as a result of a mandatory six-week delay.

Cher said: “How can you imagine what Christmas would be like, spending two months without money?”

She said that they expected to feed more hungry children over the festive period.

“Coming up towards Christmas, there will be more families approaching us,” she said.

“They don’t know where they’re going to get their money. They know that if they apply for the Government’s hardship fund they’re going to have to pay that back and a lot of people don’t believe they’re entitled to help because they’re working.”

Next month, Swindon Foodbank will begin handing out their Christmas hampers.

The Trussell Trust’s Samantha Stapley said: “Foodbank use is increasing and we’re worried people will be going hungry over Christmas. The stories you hear can be heartbreaking – mums who are going hungry for days so their children can eat, or families left to sit in the dark so they can have a hot meal.

“Foodbanks offer food, and most importantly, hope, to people in crisis.”

The Adver is urging people to give this Christmas.

Please help us make sure everyone enjoys Christmas this year no matter what hard times they have fallen on.

You can donate food, toiletries and other Christmas goodies by leaving them at the Swindon Advertiser’s Victoria Road office or at any of the Swindon Foodbank’s donation points at larger supermarkets.

To get support from Swindon Foodbank call 01793 686510 or visit one of their centres.

Full details are available from swindon.foodbank.org.uk