ALMOST 700 emergency food aid packages were sent out by Malvern Hills Foodbank between April and September this year.

During this period, volunteers at the foodbank, based at Spring Lane South, handed out service gave 680 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, down from the same period last year, when 783 care packages went out.

Chris Bray of the foodbank's trustees said: "We are pleased to note a reduction in foodbank use, but are aware that there is still a need for our foodbank in this area."

In the last six months, residents donated 8,530 kilograms of food to the foodbank, and over 70 people volunteered to help. Local schools, businesses and faith groups have all provided vital support, enabling the service to hand out its packages of three days' nutritionally-balanced food and support to people in crisis.

Winter is likely to see a rise in numbers of people needing foodbanks, as people on low incomes face choices between eating and heating.

The Malvern Foodbank is run by the Trussell Trust, which has a nationwide chain of foodbanks.

In December 2014, referrals to Trussell Trust foodbanks nationally were 53 percent higher than the average across other months, with over 130,000 three day food supplies being given to people in crisis in December alone.

As well as providing emergency food, the foodbank provides essentials like washing powder, nappies and hygiene products to families who are struggling, as well as signposting them to other services in the local area.

Many Trussell Trust foodbanks, including the Malvern one, are working with other agencies to provide additional services such as welfare advice, budgeting help and debt support at the foodbank itself, helping people to break out of crisis.

Trussell Trust UK foodbank director Adrian Curtis said: "The latest foodbank figures are still at worryingly high levels. We look forward to the day that we can announce a decrease in numbers needing foodbanks, and we welcome the fact that latest national figures show a less dramatic rise.

"Whilst we hope that this is a sign that economic recovery is giving more people access to secure work, several foodbanks are reporting that some agencies and charities who would normally refer people in crisis to foodbanks have been unable to do so because funding reductions have caused their services to be squeezed or closed."