THE manager of a Kidlington foodbank said the latest collection point to be opened at a village supermarket will help meet rising demand.

North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank’s Melvina Fawcett welcomed the extra drop-off point at the Co-op in High Street this month.

The supermarket set up collection points at its other branches in the village, in Banbury Road and Oxford Road, in July and August.

People referred by professionals like social workers can collect parcels from Kidlington Baptist Church, High Street, on Fridays from 11am to 1pm.

Our top stories

Kidlington manager and food bank trustee Mrs Fawcett said: “We are very grateful to them for what they are doing. We can always use more food.”

The foodbank typically supports people going through a short period of crisis, such as when benefits are stopped.

It helps about 12 people a week with foods like cereals, soup, beans, rice pudding and tinned potatoes and vegetables.

She said: “There are more people coming but that is because the benefits system is not working terribly well at the moment.

“Things like the bedroom tax mean they are getting their benefits cut and they are struggling.”

From April 2013 the “bedroom tax” cut housing benefit by 14 per cent by those deemed to have a spare room and 25 per cent for two spare rooms.

Mrs Fawcett added; “Some people go back to work and their benefits are cut. But they still have bills to pay in the interim.

“It is how it is operated, how they allocate it and the tendency to cut benefits in families if there is a change and they take a while to get some money together. There is always a shortfall in the middle.”

She said: “They can be in tears sometimes because they don’t want to come for what they consider to be charity.”

While stocks are low at present, contributions from harvest will give the charity a boost, she said.

High Street Co-op deputy manager Jo Brown said: “The scheme has already gone down really well in other food stores and both colleagues and customers welcome the introduction of the foodbanks.

“As a co-operative, our community is at the very heart of all that we do, and supporting Kidlington foodbank helps us to give back and support the local area, with contributions making a real difference to the lives of people who really need it.”

The foodbank also distributes food at Chipping Norton Town Hall from 10.30am to noon on Tuesdays and Woodstock Baptist Church on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 10.30am.

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.