CHRISTMAS should be a happy time but for many people it’s a struggle – and for the third year running Haslemere’s Food Bank has arranged for an extra distribution of seasonal foods and gifts for families in the area for whom this week is a particularly stressful time.

The town’s food bank chairrman, Rev David Rice, said 55 families have come forward for extra help this Christmas – on top of those who would use it as an emergency service.

He said: “While we are very happy to hand on all that is donated, it is disappointing the number of special Christmas packs distributed has risen once again.

“Because of people’s generosity, both through harvest festivals and our pre-Christmas requests, we were able to offer enough packs of food to provide a reasonable Christmas meal, plus a few treats. We were also able to offer some gifts specially donated by schools and other individuals.”

The food bank is usually a service for people suffering food poverty and provides three days’ worth of emergency supplies. When crisis looms, referrals can be made through health centres, schools, churches, Citizens’ Advice and Sure Start children’s centre.

“At this time of year we invite them to refer people who may not be in crisis, but for whom life continues to be a struggle.”

Rev Rice, who became involved when the food bank was set up in in 2013, said there was “anecdotal evidence” a rise in demand reflected figures issued by the Trussell Trust, a charity which runs a network of UK food banks, which show use in the south is still rising.

The trust highlights food poverty in the UK is a continuing trend, and is not confined to poor regions – the South East is the second wealthiest region of the UK, after London.

Nationally, the Trussell Trust has seen a three per cent rise in demand for emergency food supplies.

Benefit delay and cuts, as well as low income are key causal factors in this trend.

Between April and September, Trussell food banks gave 44,427 food supplies lasting three days to people in crisis, compared to 43,869 during the same period in 2014. The trust found the main reason for food bank use in the region was benefit delays and changes. Of those receiving handouts 16,787 were kids.

Rev Rice said: “During 2015, demand for our services has remained steady, though we had a slight dip when Guildford Action for Families, one of our main referrers, lost its funding from Waverley Borough Council. We have anecdotal evidence the level of demand is driven by changes in people’s benefits and note the further changes being sought by the Government. We are an independent organisation, but our experience matches the rather more systematically collected data of the Trussell Trust.”

Sentinel Housing Association assistant director Alex Nagle said: “We know there’s a huge amount of pressure on family budgets at Christmas. The Money Advice Service estimated on average every adult in the UK planned to spend £419 on Christmas, last year. And that’s on top of the usual household bills like rent, utilities and council tax.

“We also know for some people Christmas is even tougher. It’s unthinkable in our modern society people on low incomes are having to choose between eating or heating. But struggling to put food on the table is a daily reality for some people. We are able to refer our customers to food banks so our customers won’t go without.”

Rev Rice added: “We are extremely grateful to those members of the local community whose donations of food and toiletries, given freely, regularly, quietly, without any need for recognition, keep the food bank going. We could not provide this service without the small army of volunteers who collect, sort, store, and distribute the donated foods 52 weeks of the year.

“If you know somebody for whom feeding themselves and their family is a problem, encourage them to seek a referral to us.”

Donations can be made at any church in Haslemere, Chiddingfold and Fernhurst.