Hillingdon Foodbank opened in 2009 helping to feed 91 people. This year that figure had escalated to nearly 5000 adults and children who could not afford to eat and had turned to the food bank for help. Project co-ordinator Tope Durodula told ZOE DREWETT about the increasing demand for food, especially at Christmas time, and Hillingdon Foodbank's desperate need for a new warehouse site.

In April, the Trussell Trust, the charity which launched an emergency food bank in 2000, announced that almost 350,000 people had received at least three days emergency food in the previous 12 months, nearly 100,000 more than anticipated and close to triple the number helped in 2011/12.

The group fears that number will increase for this financial year thanks to April’s welfare reforms, leaving many in Britain facing a crisis that forces them to go hungry, including people in the borough who are turning to Hillingdon Foodbank this Christmas.

The food bank, based in The Kingsborough Centre, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, was the first to open in London. There are now more than 360 run by the Trussell Trust in the country.

Tope Durodula started as a volunteer in October last year. She became so passionate about helping people that she applied to become project co-ordinator and took on the role in July this year.

“We have had a lot of people come through the door this year and a big increase over the summer, in particular families coming together.

“I think there is an increase during the Christmas period because any extra money people have will go to buying gifts and not food, so we see more people turning to us.”

Volunteers will work throughout the festive period to make sure the people who are in desperate need of emergency food are getting it.

Some work in the warehouse in Waterloo Road to sort out food, others work in distribution centres across the borough and some help to collect food donated by supermarkets.

“People help in different ways,” Tope said. “Churches, organisations and children’s centres help us by identifying people who are really in crisis and are in need of a food voucher so that we can make sure we are giving food to the right people.

“More and more people are coming, it’s increasing day by day.”

On an average day, Tope sees around 15 people in the centre. Most days now there are more people, occaisonally a few less.

“These people are in crisis and we try to help them as much as we can. We provide shelter, and we listen. When they can’t help themselves, we can help them,” she said.

If you would like to donate to the foodbank, cheques can be made payable to The Hillingdon Foodbank and sent to Unit 5, Swan Wharf Business Centre, Waterloo Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2RA.

For more information about the Hillingdon Foodbank visit www.hillingdonfoodbank.org.uk .