LEDBURY people and Tesco's joined forces last week, to show generous support for the town's food bank.

It comes at a time when Food Bank organisers are expecting a big rise in demand.

At present, the Food Bank is seeing around 20 clients and week, most of whom have families, and so the food supplied is helping to feed at least 50 people each week.

This is expected to rise to around 35 clients a week over the summer, based on previous figures, which means the Ledbury Food Bank will be feeding around 80 local people each week, during the summer period.

Demand increases became the children of many local families are obviously unable to get free school meals during the summer holidays, and this puts added strain on limited budgets.

Shoppers at the store, off Orchard Lane, were asked to make donations with the outcome that forty boxes of household provisions were collected, from Thursday, July 2 to Sunday July 5.

Liz Wreford, Food Bank Co-ordinator said: "We are incredibly grateful for all the donations we have received from local people. The staff at Tesco could not have been more supportive and our fabulous volunteers have rallied round as usual to support the event."

She added: "The timing of the collection has been very good for us. Demand from families increases over the summer months. Children are not able to access free school meals during the holidays - this puts strain on family budgets and they come to us for extra help".

Food Bank spokesman, David Kirkham said: "In the school holidays we say to schools, issue Food Bank vouchers to the families of any children who get free school meals, and that means we expect more people to turn up."

The Food Bank has been operating since 2012, and recently registered as an independent charity. It provides food and household items for local people who are in financial difficulty. Located at the rear of St Katherine's Hall in Ledbury Town Centre, the doors open every Wednesday and Friday from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

More information, including both how to get food is available from the organization’s website at www.ledburyfoodbank.org or by emailing food@ledburyfoodbank.org