GENEROUS shoppers donated more than 1,500kg of food to help feed the needy over the tough winter months.

Volunteers from Malvern Hills Food Bank are thrilled with the response to a two-day food collection held at Waitrose supermarket, in Edith Walk.

They say the bumper haul has left the charity’s shelves well stocked and will help it support people in crisis and struggling to feed themselves and their families over the festive period.

The food bank has seen demand grow steadily since it opened 12 months ago and has already handed out about 800 food parcels to those in need. It recently moved to new premises in Spring Lane, Malvern Link, having quickly outgrown its initial home at the Howsell Road Industrial Estate.

Thanks to the generosity of shoppers, the shelves there are now stacked high with essentials including soup, cereals and tinned meat, as well as non-food essentials such as nappies, toothpaste and washing powder and even a few Christmas puddings and seasonal treats.

Mike Hayes, chairman of Malvern Hills Food Bank fund-raising committee, said the total collected is 50 per cent higher than during a previous collection at Waitrose earlier this year.

“This is a fantastic response from the people of Malvern Hills to help those in difficulty and crisis in our area,” he said. “Huge thanks to them and to Waitrose for allowing us to run this event.”

During the collection, on Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7, volunteers handed shoppers lists of the stocks needed by the food bank and asked them to consider adding an item to their shopping list.

Volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the weekend sorting and dating the products before transporting them to the food bank.

For more information, visit malvernhills.foodbank.org.