AFTER months of preparation Droitwich Foodbank has begun distributing food to local people in the area.

The foodbank, which is based at the old library building on Ombersley Street East in Droitwich, is open on Mondays from 12noon until 2pm, and on Thursdays from 2-4pm for clients already issued with a voucher to come and have a hot drink and a chat. They can receive help and advice, as well as picking up a food parcel.

Vouchers for the foodbank are being issued by local care professionals including social workers, health visitors, family workers and other local organisations including WAND, Age UK, Citizens Advice Bureau and local churches.

The vouchers can then be taken to the foodbank where they can be exchanged for a parcel of food which includes three days worth of balanced meals for individuals or families in need.

More than 90 per cent of the food at the foodbank is donated by people from Droitwich and the surrounding villages through collections at the local branches of Morrisons, Waitrose, Aldi and Tesco earlier in the summer, and people can still donate food at collection points around Droitwich, which include nine of the local churches (Baptist, Emmanuel, Methodist, Sacred Heart RC, Salvation Army, St Andrew’s, St Augustine’s, St Nicholas and St Peter’s), Lloyds Bank, Barclays Banks, Droitwich Library, Physique Gym, Vax and Gorgeous Hair Design.

The foodbank is particularly looking for donations of tins of ham or cooked meat, tinned fish or tinned sponge puddings, and it has asked that all items donated have at least two months left before their Best Before date.

The Droitwich Spa Foodbank is being organised with Churches Together in Droitwich Spa and district, as part of The Trussell Trust’s UK Foodbank Network.

For more information visit droitwichspa.foodbank.org.uk or the Droitwich Spa Foodbank Facebook page.