BENEFIT system changes and zero-hours contracts have been blamed for a big rise in those seeking help at Wrexham Foodbank during 2018.

That peaked over the festive period when volunteers at the centre distributed around 200 food parcels and made up 400 Christmas hampers for the needy - the highest figures since the bank was established in the town by the Trussell Trust in 2012.

To cope with the surge in demand the charity received almost 9,000kg of food and toiletries in December, ten times the quantity of donations in July.

Foodbank manager Sally Ellinson says issues with Universal Credit in particular have caused people problems, leaving them without money while they wait for payments and unable to provide themselves a nutritious diet.

She said: “There has also been an increase in those who are working but on a low income and people on zero-hour contracts. If you can imagine suddenly not having income for five weeks, it builds up and those people don’t have masses of savings.

“We had a 22 per cent increase in September and our donations have doubled each month since.”

The food was distributed to people referred by agencies such as Citizens Advice, Cais and Homestart to the four Foodbank centres based in Rhosddu, Caia Park, Gwersyllt and Cefn Mawr.

Volunteers worked extra hours at the Foodbank’s warehouse in Dean Road in Wrexham to meet the demand.

Over the course of last year they helped distribute 2,080 food parcels providing 4,446 three-day emergency food supplies, a “significant” increase in the numbers handed out during 2017.

“We have a dedicated team of volunteers who are here every Tuesday and Friday in the warehouse and they came in extra hours over Christmas,” said Sally. “We also had volunteers coming in from the Kellogs factory and Ysgol Morgan Llwyd.

“The big task was making the Christmas boxes as we needed four different sizes depending on the size of the families. They were wrapped up and labelled and we did baby hampers too. It was a real logistical challenge.”

The foodbank is not just about delivering emergency aid and staff signpost people to organisations who can help them with food poverty and also lay on cooking and budgeting sessions.

“There are still people who come to us who are so embarrassed and ashamed,” added Sally. “They will say ‘I never thought I’d be here, I thought this was for homeless. I’ve worked all my life and paid all my taxes’.

“There is a perception about the kind of people that go to a foodbank, but it could happen to any of us - we are all three months away from using a foodbank really. If you lost your job and had three big bills for most people that would be it a few months.

“Our volunteers are here to make people feel welcome and they sit down with them and help them address the root causes of their poverty.”

Warehouse worker John Kight is on the foodbank’s management team and volunteers with his wife, Joyce.

He said: “We wanted to put something back as we don’t believe in this day and age we should have foodbanks at all, but there is no end to them waning.

“I do the housekeeping in the warehouse and take account of all the stock

“We have to weigh everything so we know what we’ve got and keep the food date-orientated.”

Despite responding enthusiastically to their busy schedule, volunteers and staff hope that their work will one day not be needed.

“We want to see an end to local people needing emergency food with a benefits system that catches people before they fall into crisis,” said the foodbank manager.

“We need an understanding of people with mental health difficulties who haven’t got the capacity to work.

“It’s a bit strange that our aim is not to be here in 10 years time. But for the foreseeable future we are determined to make sure that until that time comes emergency help is here for people.”

n Donations of packets and tins (not fresh or frozen products) as well as toiletries, sanitary products, pet food and nappies can be brought to Wrexham Foodbank’s warehouse on Dean Road which is open Tuesdays and Fridays between 10am and 3pm.

n The foodbank is also looking to recruit a warehouse manager working 18 hours a week to co-ordinate its distribution. See www.wrexhamfoodbank.org.uk