A FOODBANK, which covers Marlborough and Pewsey, has revealed it has started the search for a new home in the same week figures show that more people than ever are being forced to use the charity.

In Marlborough the foodbank is asking the community to support people in crisis this Christmas by donating to the Tesco Food Collection at the town’s store.

Volunteers will be greeting customers with a list of items most needed during the collection with started yesterday and runs until Saturday.

Liz Starling, Project Manager at Devizes and District Foodbank said: “No one should need a food bank at any time of year – but we know during the lead up to Christmas, even more people need help.”

The Devizes and district foodbank is based at Devizes Community Hospital but when a new health centre opens on the other side of town it will have to move out to allow the hospital to be sold.

Manager Liz Stirling said this week that the charity has to raise £17,800 a year for staff and running costs but this could soar if it has to pay rent on new premises.

She said: “We are fortunate at the moment that we don’t have to pay rent for our store premises but once work starts on the new Integrated Care Centre we will have to vacate the hospital so that the site can be sold.

“We will then be looking for warehouse accommodation, with a minimum 1000 square feet, which we will most likely have to pay rent on.”

The Devizes and District Foodbank is using the count down to a general election to call on candidates from all parties to pledge to protect people from hunger.

Figures just released show that a total of 979 emergency food parcels were given to people in the constituency between April 1 and September 30. Out of this 401 went to children

This is a rise of 44 per cent over the same period last year.