BRIDGWATER Foodbank is looking to secure its future by purchasing its current centre on Mount Street.

The organisers see the site as the ideal location and have put down a £10,000 deposit on the £150,000 building which will see Somerset County Council take the building off the market while funds are raised.

Keith Barnard, one of the founders on the Bridgwater Foodbank, said this would be a sound investment, and while they have looked at the possibility of other locations, the consensus is they are best off staying put.

Mr Barnard said: "Our current location perfectly suits our purposes. We are close to the town centre but not too visible - unfortunately there is still a certain stigma attached to using the foodbank and some people may be put off if using us if we had a prominent location on the High Street."

Phil Jarman, the manager at the Foodbank added: "Of course we would love to think that the food bank won’t be needed in two years but either way this is a sound investment, we are confident that we would be able to sell the building on if it came to that."

Mr Jarman explained that in the past 12 months, the Foodbank had help to feed 3,000 people in the Bridgwater area and that demand had increased significantly since the introduction of Universal Credit.

"Since Universal Credit first started being rolled out in Sedgemoor on May 25, 2016, we have seen a 50 per cent increase in footfall," he said.

"We do not always compensated for that – there are some weeks more food goes out than comes in – but we never turn people away."

Mr Jarman said that vulnerable people are being pushed 'over the edge' by going six weeks without any income while being transitioned from the previous benefits system onto Universal Credit.

Mr Barnard added: "There is no two ways about it, Hinkley is also having an impact. Private landlords see an opportunity to bring in more money by renting out to Hinkley workers than the existing tenants. This is evident with, what 1,600 on site? There are a lot more to come and it will have a big impact."

Two people who visited the Foodbank on Friday afternoon were known to be living in tents, Mr Jarman said.

"People do not always realise what is happening on their doorsteps. Having no fixed abode means these people cannot open a bank account and cannot gain unemployment benefits - ourselves and Westfield Church with its facilities are the only two lifelines some of these people have," Mr Jarman said.

In last week's Mercury report, it was reported that the West Somerset Foodbank in Minehead was making a plea for baked beans, however Mr Jarman wanted to clarify that the Bridgwater Foodbank actually had sufficient supply of these - but does have other products it is desperately in need of.

"We would be grateful if people could donate any of the following: sugar, jars of jam, tinned rice, tinned custard, tinned vegetables, coffee and fruit juice," he said.

Anyone who would like to find out more about donating money or food, volunteering, or renting out a car parking space at the Mount Street Day Centre should visit bridgwater.foodbank.org.uk.