Christmas is coming, and Stevenage & Knebworth Foodbank team hope you can help fill their stocking

As Christmas nears, there are plenty of people in Stevenage who are fretting about being able to put food on the table over the festive season.

But the team at the Stevenage and Knebworth Community Food Bank has launched a Christmas appeal so that it can provide families in need with a festive hamper containing some of those little extras which many of us take for granted.

Funding has already been secured to provide fresh fruit, vegetables and meat.

And now donations are being sought for non-perishable food which reflects the season.

Examples include festive biscuits, small selection boxes, chocolates, tinned fruit, custard, jellies, tinned potatoes and mixed vegetables, Christmas pudding and orange squash. Any donations should have a use-by date of no earlier than January 2015.

The team’s Richard Wallace said: “It is hoped that providing food over Christmas will give families suffering financial hardship some respite, and perhaps make it slightly easier to buy some presents for their children.”

The appeal is now open and runs until Friday, December 12, with a food drive at Waitrose in Stevenage Old Town on Saturday, December 6, between 9am and 4pm.

Find out more about the Foodbank, and the donations they need, at stevenagecommunityfoodbank.org.uk.