Salisbury Foodbank only has three-week supply on some items

It comes as the foodbank appealed for donations on its Facebook page.

Maria Stevenson, the manager at Salisbury Foodbank told the Journal she has recently spent £1,060 with a supermarket to buy in a week’s worth of items.

She said this is a "growing concern" as in 2022 they helped more than 7,000 people, which was a 51 per cent increase compared to 2021.

"This is exemplified through over 64,000 meals being provided to people in 2022 which excludes Christmas hamper provisions", said Maria. 

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“In 2023 so far every month we have issued out more stock than we have received in. Our donations have increased versus 2022 however our demand has increased faster.”

Salisbury Foodbank weight of stock donations in KGs (Image: Salisbury Foodbank)

Maria added: “The cost of living has brought people and families to their knees, they are going without essential items each week – just to survive. This goes beyond money and food. It is impacting peoples’ mental health”.

"Foodbank is an essential for thousands of local people in 2023, this is no exaggeration”.

At the end of May this year the foodbank had provided 32,589 meals to 3,621 people locally with 37 per cent of the people they had supported being children, meaning 12,006 meals in five months given to children alone.

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More than 60 per cent of the people asking for help are first-time visitors or who only needed help once.

Maria added: “People coming to us are doing so as a last resort with many of the people we support are in work and still cannot put food on the table."

People helped by the foodbank (Image: Salisbury Foodbank)

Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “The team at Salisbury food bank are incredible. It never fails to amaze us how much time people are willing to give to help their community. The food bank staff and volunteers work tirelessly, under incredibly challenging circumstances to ensure that people who need it receive an emergency food parcel, as well as compassionate, practical, advice. This can make all the difference to someone facing crisis. 

The public can help by knowing what the foodbank needs and where it can be donated: https://salisbury.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/, where they publish a list of food items fortnightly.

Can also help by donating money to allow the charity to buy more food at: justgiving.com/campaign/salisburyfoodbankfoodfund where if people are gift aid registered their money is added to by 25% so a £10 donation becomes £12.50.

Cheques can also be payable to Unit 6b Ashfield trading estate, SP2 7HL. Further action of arranging collections in groups or businesses, like and share social media posts and just spreading the word.