A FOODBANK in Wyke which opened in June has been seeing the effects of the absence of free school meals during the summer holidays as more families come through its doors.

Wyke Foodbank is supported by the Trussell Trust and Wyke Council of Christian Churches and serves people living in the BD12 postcode area.

Joint project manager Alison Cragg said that in recent weeks the number of families seeking help had increased, which they put down to the absence of free school meals over the holidays.

She added that in total they had helped 28 clients since they opened, handing out a total of 726 kilos of food.

"The take up from families has increased over the summer, which we believe is down to the fact that there are no free school meals, breakfast and afterschool clubs which people rely on.

"When we opened in June we were initially getting one or two clients a day, but now this has increased to three or four - and they tend to be bigger families with more complex needs.

"We have also noticed that most of the people that are coming to us have some sort of problem with their benefits. The majority of our clients have seen their benefits sanctioned or they have been moved to a different benefit and their is a gap between the payments.

"Families who reply on benefits may still have tax credits or child benefit, but a single person will have no other income to fall back on should their benefits be sanctioned."

The foodbank works with partners who can then refer people in need and supply them with a voucher, which can then be taken to the foodbank to be exchanged for an emergency three-day supply of food.

So far 14 organisations have partnered with the foodbank, including Wyke Children's Centre, Christians Against Poverty, Sedburgh Community Centre and Appleton Academy, and they are looking for more.

She added that she also wanted to thank all the local people, businesses and organisations that had already donated food and said they were currently short of tinned goods such as fruit, meat and fish.

Based at The Hub, Blackstone Avenue, the foodbank is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11.30am and 1.30pm. It was officially opened by the Bishop of Bradford, Toby Howarth, at the beginning of last month.

For more information log on to wykefoodbank.org.uk or call 07941 326723 or 07941 380420.