A GENEROUS donation is helping to keep Swindon Foodbank’s vans on the road.

Wiltshire Freemasons handed over a cheque for £5,000 to the essential service yesterday afternoon.

The cash will help the Walcot-based charity cover its £65,000-a year costs – heating its massive Westlea warehouse, insuring its volunteers and keeping its two foodbank vans in petrol.

Philip Bullock, Wiltshire Freemasons’ provincial grand master for three years, said: “It’s such a deserving cause. It helps people who are in need – which is what the freemasons are all about.

“We support wherever we can people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Swindon Foodbank is a superb charity.”

The money came from the Grand Lodge, freemasonry’s London headquarters. Each year, lodges in Wiltshire will hand over money to the central pot – which is then divided between hundreds of charities around the country.

Already this year, Wiltshire freemason lodges have handed over an estimated £90,000 to more than 100 charities.

With the end of the financial year looming, Swindon Foodbank manager Cher Smith thanked the freemasons for their generous donation.

She said: “It costs £65,000 to run the charity. Our overheads include £7,000 for warehouse, our insurance and fuel for our vans.

“We have the same costs as a business. It’s really important for people to recognise that charities can’t operate without funding.

“Without our warehouse we can’t store the food and without the vans we can’t deliver it.

“The foodbank doesn’t pay for itself. That’s why initiatives like popping a pound on food donations or giving as you earn are so important.

“We’re lean and mean. We only employ the equivalent of one and a half staff members.”

Gifts like that handed over by the Wiltshire Freemasons help to “take the stress off” as the end of the financial year looms, Cher added.

The Adver is urging shoppers to support Swindon Foodbank by buying a little extra this Christmas.

Swindon Foodbank, which last year handed out 47 tonnes of food, is urgently calling for donations of potatoes, tinned puddings, sugar, tinned meat, toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo.

Cher said: “We’re going to run out by January.”

You can donate items by leaving them at the Swindon Advertiser’s Victoria Road office or at the Swindon Foodbank’s donation points at larger supermarkets.

To get support from Swindon Foodbank, call 01793 686510 or visit one of their centres. Full details are available from: swindon.foodbank.org.uk.