Food banks in Shropshire expect to help more in need

But Telford is bucking the trend, with the number of people using the charity service more than halving. Organisers say that this is because they are working with the Citizen's Advice Bureau to make sure people who use the food bank are directed to alternative sources of help.

Figures for Telford show that 235 people used the food bank in December, dropping from 573 in June.

The figures show that the number of adults being helped fell from 406 to 158, while number of children was down from 167 to 77.

But a different picture was being painted across the county.

Peter Baker, from Shrewsbury Food Bank, said: "It is very high right now – food banks are pretty seasonal anyway.

"We are probably averaging in the region of 40 to 50 or 55 families, individuals, smaller families and single parent families on a regular weekly basis.

"Right now, it is just slightly more than last year."

More than 100 people have been referred to the food bank in Bridgnorth, next to the Baptist Church, since it opened its doors in October.

During that time 41 emergency packs have also been issued to those in desperate need.

There has also been a significant rise in the number of vouchers being presented to the Oswestry and Borders Food Bank in exchange for food parcels.

Phil Simpson, of Trussel Trust food bank distribution centres in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Weston Rhyn, said 21,297 kilos of food were given out in the last six months of the year.

This month 177 adults and 110 children have been given food.

Newport's food bank, run in conjunction with The Trussell Trust, opened last month and has been helping an average of three families a week.

But in Telford the number of food bank users has fallen following the introduction of a Crisis Appointments Scheme over the summer.

This sees anyone returning to the food bank being invited to take up appointments with a Citizen's Advice Bureau adviser.

The appointments are used to provide help and support across a broad range of services.

Jake Bennett, Project Co-ordinator for the Telford Food Bank, said: "The need is actually going down in Telford and there's a reason for that.

"In the summer we introduced interventions, which gave those who used the food bank two hours of advice through support agencies - including help to quit smoking and to give up alcohol.

"It has got us out of the revolving doors situation other areas have found themselves in."