A NEW foodbank and soup kitchen offering vital lifelines to poverty-stricken people across Darwen will open next month.

Spirit in the Community will provide food parcels to struggling people struggling to fill their cupboards from its base at Cafe Lush in Railway Road.

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And every Wednesday the cafe – owned by the charity’s joint founder Mary Saward – will open to offer free hot meals cooked by qualified caterers.

Secretary Carolyn Newell, who has volunteered at Darwen Food Larder for the past seven years, said the new charity would be solely for Darwen residents.

She said: “This is for anyone who is struggling, especially the homeless, elderly and military veterans.

“People will be able to approach us and ask for help. They do not need a referral.

“Food parcels will be available when the cafe is open, which is usually during the day, but if there is a desperate situation at night and we get a call then we will get somebody out.

“The big thing about this is the Wednesday soup kitchens.

“We are hoping to make it quite a social event.

“These people can get themselves stuck in a rut so they can end up depressed and hopefully this can help them.”

Mrs Newell, who is also secretary of Darwen Christian Spiritualist Church, said there was a real problem with homelessness and poverty in Darwen.

She said: “It is getting worse in Darwen.

“People are going hungry and I just don’t know how that can happen in this day and age.

“It is really sad.”

Mrs Newell said she hoped to work with the Food Larder, which has been running for 20 years.

She added: “We have two or three volunteers who will help us with the cooking.

“People will get two or three days worth of food in a parcel and anyone who comes for a parcel will get a hot meal.

“We will also look at getting the credit union involved to help people learn how to budget.”

Darwen Town Council will consider handing over £500 to the charity to help it get off the ground.

At last week’s council meeting at Darwen Town Hall, deputy chairman Cllr Pete Hollings said: “We are close to establishing a group in Darwen to help the homeless.

“I would like to donate £500 to help get them started.

“Once they are up and running they will do all their own fundraising and be self-sufficient.

“They are all Darwen people and they are passionate about homeless people in Darwen.”

The decision will be made at the council’s March meeting.