Published by Emma Carton at 8:17am 17th January 2020. (Updated at 4:02pm 17th January 2020)

A Cornish foodbank has revealed that in one session before Christmas, it handed out 1,700 meals in just an hour and a half.

The centre for Camborne, Pool and Redruth has shared worrying figures from the festive period.

Bosses say on the last Tuesday before December 25th, it experienced its busiest session of 2019.

"Perhaps manic doesn't explain it but the figures do".

Scroll down to check the list of donation points and foods needed by the Camborne, Pool and Redruth Foodbank

A Cornish foodbank has revealed that in one session before Christmas, it handed out 1,700 meals in just over an hour

 

Manager Don Gardner has told Pirate FM that if it were not for volunteers and public support, they would have been in trouble.

"We did our Christmas meal appeal - last year we did 1,080 Christmas lunches and this year we did 1,860 Christmas lunches and nearly 1,000 presents for the children.

"On top of that, the Tuesday before Christmas we had our busiest session in the foodbank that afternoon with 1,700 meals going out in an hour and a half.

"So all those things compounded, if I didn't have support from my wonderful volunteers and support from the public who supply the food, we would have been absolutely in trouble.

"We're averaging, probably, out of this foodbank, six thousand meals a week and we've got four foodbanks in the area; it is really, really increasing.

"The problems are getting more and more complex; domestic violence is a real problem in Camborne.

Don added: "They just can't cope with the situations but we get the fall-out.

"We have to cope with people put in Travelodges and Premier Inns. They can't cook so how do you provide food when they've only got a kettle?"

He concluded by saying: "All the things that go on behind the scenes, to actually make food available to people is difficult".

Don Gardner

The centre for Camborne, Pool and Redruth has issued an appeal for donations after experiencing its busiest session before Christmas

 

How can I help support the foodbank?

Transformation CPR distributes food to those who need it most in the Camborne, Pool Redruth area of Cornwall.

The charity has over 50 volunteers helping them weekly to distribute around 23,000 meals to over 540 families.

It is always looking for donations, particularly for the following items:

• Cereals
• Tea
• Coffee
• Milk:
• Powdered
• Long-Life Cartons
• Sugar
• Biscuits
• Sweet Biscuits
• Savoury Biscuits (Crackers, Crispbreads)
• Bottled Sauces
• (Bolognese, Pasta Sauces, Curry Sauces etc)
• Tinned Items
• Soups
• Meats (Corned Beef, Ham, Stewed Steak etc)
• Beans (Baked, Butterbeans, Other Pulses, Lentils etc)
• Vegetables (Carrots, Green Beans, Sweetcorn, Pease, Potatoes etc)
• Tomatoes
• Pasta (Spaghetti, Ravioli, Macaroni Cheese, etc)
• Fruits
• Tinned Desserts
• Rice Pudding, Custard etc)
• Packets
• Dried Pasta (all types, Spaghetti, etc)
• Rice / Couscous
• Instant Pasta or Rice meals
• Sauces (Cheese Sauce, Sweet & Sour etc)

The Camborne, Pool and Redruth Foodbank has a series of drop-off points across the area:

• Tesco Redruth
• Tesco Camborne
• Tesco Pool
• All 16 Methodist Chapels in the Camborne-Redruth Circuit
• Camborne Parish Church
• Scorrier Christian Fellowship
• St Andrews Parish Church Redruth
• Redruth Baptist Church
• St Euny Church Redruth
• Morrisons, Pool
• Catholic Churches in Camborne and Redruth
• Roskear Church, Camborne

Read more advice and check how to contact the foodbank if you or someone you know needs support.