West Cumbria's foodbank has issued an urgent appeal for donations as food stocks run low.

North Lakes Foodbank has seen a drop in donations in recent weeks which, along with an increased need for its services over the school holidays, has left it with less than a month's supply of food on its shelves.

The charity, which supports between 550 and 600 people in an average month, is also providing lunch packs for about 700 children to help families who are left without free school meals during the summer holidays.

Linda McDonald, assistant project manager, put the drop in donations down to people being away on holiday, and some people donating for the lunch packs instead of their usual donations of general stock.

She said: "We are very grateful to the people who donate and the volunteers who help run the foodbank. Without them we couldn't operate.

"If people are going shopping I'd urge them to look out for our appeal posters in supermarkets and consider whether they can spare an extra tin or two in addition to what they might normally donate, or consider donating for the first time."

The foodbank requires a range of non-perishable items to make up the meal packs it gives to people in need.

Its shopping list features:

  • full fat or semi-skilled UHT milk
  • UHT fruit juice
  • tinned meat, fish, tomatoes, fruit, vegetables, soup, rice pudding and sponge pudding
  • biscuits, snack bars and medium-sized boxes of cereals
  • tea bags and instant coffee
  • jars or sachets of pasta sauce, instant mashed potato, sugar, jam and 500g bags of dried pasta

The charity cannot accept perishable or homemade produce, or anything in damaged tins.