PUPILS at Didcot Girls’ School are spearheading a drive to get more donations for Didcot’s emergency foodbank.

The charity, which was launched last year, has helped 290 adults and 190 children in the past 12 months by providing them with emergency supplies of food when they have run out of money.

Now a group of girls at the school has created posters highlighting its work and persuaded dozens of their fellow pupils to donate food to the cause.

Class W6 took the cause to their hearts after hearing a presentation by foodbank founder Anna Nicholl, vowing to do what they could to help the charity.

After making sure teachers spread the word to fellow pupils, they started collecting big bags of food to donate to the foodbank and came up with slogans to advertise the charity, including: ‘Give to the only bank that doesn’t take your money.’ Chelsey French, 14, said: “You never know who you’re helping. It could be some of your friends who need help from the foodbank.

“It’s really worth it, because we know we’re helping people who are less fortunate than us.”

And Caitlin Powell, 11, added: “Lots of charities that we hear about are miles away, but this is a little charity here in Didcot. It’s closer to home, where we can make a difference.”

The volunteer-run foodbank, which opens from 11am to 1pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, helps families and individuals referred to it by 31 different agencies, including social services, charities and housing associations.

The supplies are donated by people across the town, including members of local churches and businesses.

People can also donate their Nectar card points from Sainsbury’s supermarket to the foodbank, so they can be used to buy food for the least-well-off in the town.

Mrs Nicholl said: “It’s so encouraging for use to see the pupils get involved. I have been really impressed with them.

“Certainly the referring agencies say the foodbank is making a difference.

“The most common cases are people whose benefits have been stopped, so they need food to help them over that period.

“We had one lad who came to use who hadn’t eaten for two days.

“Every week we have at least one or two people who come to us, sometimes up to four people in a day.”