COLUMN: Can you help food bank?

However, it’s also deeply saddening that in one of the richest countries in the world that so many people find themselves in circumstances where they need a food bank’s help.

The Trussell Trust’s Food Banks support local people who would otherwise go hungry, and last year alone more than 1.8 million people nationally were given three days’ worth of emergency food supplies from the Trussell Trust.

This includes people who are homeless and rough sleepers, but, increasingly, it also includes families and individuals who never expected to have to rely on a charity for food.

People who have found themselves suddenly in crisis, from the sort of bad luck that can happen to any of us, whether that’s a sudden crisis, losing a job, illness, or benefits sanctions.

The food bank volunteers tell me that they were particularly busy over the Christmas period, seeing 30 individuals, eight of whom were sleeping rough, in the last session before Christmas Day.

At the moment it is particularly in need of clothing and toiletries, especially men’s warm clothing. It would welcome donations of warm hats, coats, scarves, jumpers and gloves.

Volunteers would also welcome donations of toiletries, especially shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and toilet rolls, women’s sanitary products and wipes.

If you would like to support them, your donations of clean clothing and toiletries should be taken to St Peter’s Church, Church Street, Mansfield on Wednesdays between 11.30 am and 2pm.

Visit www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/sherwoodforest/