NEWTOWN’S SALVATION Army branch has received a much needed donation to help families in the town put food on the table.

Ysgol Rhiw-bechan in Tregynon choose a charity or organisation to help and donate what they have collected at their harvest services.

This year the school helped the Salvation Army – and the Food bank they run is gearing up for another hectic Christmas.

Salvation Army community development worker, Nicola Wain, said: “I’d like to thank the school for bringing their harvest donations to us.

“Food bank use has increased dramatically and we’re expecting more referrals in the run up to Christmas.

“Up to the end of September we’ve helped 269 families with food parcels, so that’s more than 4,000 meals.

“All our food parcels have three meals for three days.”

Use of foodbanks in the UK is soaring for many reasons.

Nicola added: “It’s the economic climate, this year the Universal Credit is hitting people as it takes six weeks to process before people receive payments.

“And when people do get back to work, their benefits stop immediately and they don’t usually get paid for a month.

“So people find themselves with no money to buy food.”

Last year the Salvation Army saw a 50 per-cent rise in families needing a Christmas hamper and Nicola said that they are working towards and increase on that figure.

Margaritta Lovell, deputy head teacher at Ysgol Rhiw-bechan, said: “We have both English and Welsh speaking streams at the school and so hold two harvest services.

“We asked our pupils and families if they could collect food so that we could donate to the food bank.

“Each year at harvest festival time we choose a charity or organisation to help.”

If you want to donate to the Salvation Army, Food Bank, donations are accepted at the town’s Morrisons Supermarket or pop in to their branch on 7 Market Street.