A church that launched Skipton Food Bank 18 months ago has seen the project go from strength to strength.

In the autumn of 2010, a small group at Skipton Baptist Church came up with the idea of distributing Christmas hampers to needy people.

Lead minister the Rev Rob Harris said the church repeated the project around Easter, but quickly realised there was a demand and an ongoing project was established in September 2011.

The food bank project involves the congregation donating a specific range of long-dated items including tins of soup, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as rice and dried pasta, long-life milk, cereals, tea and coffee, toiletries and if needed, pans and can openers.

Last year, the church provided more than 100 hampers, but the demand has increased to about six to eight hampers per week.

Mr Harris has warned that the escalating need is greater than a single congregation can sustain and is calling on business people to give a helping hand.

“It started with a small group of people saying, ‘What can we do?’, but what they didn’t realise how much it would grow,” said Mr Harris. “So far when people have asked for a hamper, we’ve never had to say no.”

The church has created a large food store and a team, run by Jacques and Anne Gimeno, puts together the food parcels for individual and family needs.

These are collected by community-based agencies who to take them directly to their clients.

Craven District Council, Foundation Housing, York-shire Housing, Homestart, the York and North Yorkshire Probation Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau are among the agencies who distribute the parcels.

Mr Harris said: “This allows us to be sure that there is a genuine need.”

Nina Pinder, strategy and housing access officer at Craven District Council, said: “The best part about it is that it’s coming from a voluntary organisation.”

Steven Trueman, project manager at Foundation Housing, said: “This has filled a big gap because we come across customers who otherwise wouldn’t be eating on a daily basis.”

Both Mrs Pinder and Mr Trueman agree changes in the benefits system has seen an increased demand.

“The Government’s new local assistance fund has slowed the process down,” said Mr Trueman.

“When people are in crisis, they need someplace to go for help,” added Mrs Pinder.

For more information about Skipton Food Bank, call the church office on (01756) 701099 or visit skiptonbaptistchurch.com.