A foodbank has come up with the brilliant idea of a reverse advent calendar to see them through the next month. January can be a tough month for foodbanks, which usually see a dip in donations as people recover from their festive spending. To try and encourage people to give generously during January, Bedford Foodbank asked people to collect donations in the lead up to Christmas . Some of the items that the foodbank was most in need of included toothpaste, tinned food, kitchen implements and cash donations. People taking part bought an item every day between December 1 and December 24, before handing in their final haul in the New Year. Sarah Broughton, project manager, said January could be a “bleak month” as many people had spent their money during the festive period, the Mirror reports. She said: "People are so generous up to Christmas, but donations drop off into the New Year, which is understandable. "Everyone needs to tighten their belts in January and they also spend more on heating and lighting." Official figures indicate that there are now more than 2,000 foodbanks across the UK, many of which are run by The Trussell Trust. The foodbank charity says the number of emergency food parcels given out rose by nearly 200,000 in the last year. A total of 823,145 families had to use foodbanks between April and September in 2019. The three most common causes for families relying on food banks are low income, benefit delays and benefit changes. Other reasons include debt, homelessness and being unable to access public funds. To find your local foodbank click here. Each Trussell Trust foodbank has its own website where you can find out what items are needed the most.
