Food Bank Britain: Each week End Hunger Fast is shining a spotlight on individual food banks, talking to some of the selfless volunteers who are working hard to compete with the explosion in demand.

Plymouth Food Bank has been operating since 2008 and in that time has helped approximately 20,000 people with emergency food parcels. Funded by the Methodist Mission Circuit they have witnessed a significant jump in demand since the middle of last year and attribute this mainly to the knock-on effect of welfare reforms.

Part of the Trussell Trust Foodbank network, they are a successful community project with 325 churches, schools, businesses, staff in all sorts of workplaces, clubs, societies and lots of individuals either collecting or donating food. Last November during the national food collection weekend over 4000 kg of food was collected outside two Tesco stores in the city.

Last year they were named as Sainsbury’s Plymouth Charity of the Year for 2013 ? the second year running they have received this award.