THAT Swindon Foodbank has received enough food to fill its storage space speaks literal volumes about the generosity of local people.

It is not a cue, however, for anybody to put two and two together and conclude: “Problem solved.”

The foodbank began as a response to food poverty among vulnerable people and continues to do its vital work on that basis.

Its clients range from those who have fallen through the cracks - some would say the abysses - of our revised benefit system to people who have lived conventional working lives until their jobs simply ceased to exist.

Some use the service only once or twice, while for others it is a longer-term lifeline.

The economic situation which has driven many people to seek assistance from the foodbank is still far from resolved.

The sheer variety of circumstances bringing clients to the organisation’s door is a reminder that most of us are only a misfortune or two from joining them. We have come to realise that those suffering food poverty are not and never were ‘other people’ - they are us in difficulty.

Perhaps this, along with generosity and the usual harvest-time boom in donations, accounts for the foodbank’s shelves being full.

Long may they remain full, but in the meantime there is still plenty we can do to help. The foodbank always welcomes donations of money, which helps to cover its considerable running costs. In addition, people with spare time and a desire to use it for the benefit of others might consider volunteering.

As autumn gives way to winter, it’s also worth remembering that demand at the foodbank is ongoing, and a call for more donations of food will probably be made at some point in the near future.

We shall keep readers aware of the ongoing situation.