FOODBANKS have thanked locals for their ‘overwhelming’ generosity in the run up to Christmas.

Foodbanks across East Lancashire have been pushing for extra donations to meet heightened demand and say they have been inundated with generous donations.

Ros Duerden, of the Blackburn Foodbank, said donations had tripled last week.

She said: “It’s been absolutely phenomenal.

“We’ve taken over three tons of food over the last week.

“During the last four days, we have fed 353 people and I would say that over half of them are children.

“Because of all the generous donations, we have managed to include selection boxes and sweets and treats into our emergency food parcels so that families that are struggling can still experience some Christmas cheer.”

Caroline Collins, of the Raft Foundation foodbank in Rossendale, said: “People have been absolutely fabulous.

“Everyone has been mucking in and getting involved and we’ve had some really generous donations of things like toys and advent calendars which will help people enjoy Christmas.

“Christmas isn’t about how much you spend, it’s about people joining together and helping others and that’s what’s been going on.

“Today we will be delivering 500 parcels to people in need and I’d say that two thirds of them are children — we’ve had that many referrals from big families throughout December.

“Our volunteers have been amazing, working seven days a week wrapping presents and delivering food parcels.

“We just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated food, gifts or their time.

“It’s really been something special.”

The meteoric rise of foodbanks in 2013 have been so prominent, they have become a sort of symbol of the past twelve months and have transformed the way the UK deals with poverty.

The Trussell Trust, which runs the Blackburn Foodbank in Brunswick Street, has opened more than 400 foodbanks in the UK this year alone and has fed more than half a million people since April — a third of whom are children.