THE foodbank at Hawkhill Community Centre is closed until there are more tins to go around.

An offshoot of the Sauchie Active 8 service, the charitable bank was not able to provide parcels to people in need last Friday, due to a shortage.

Centre manager May Richmond told the Advertiser: “I don't know really what's going to happen because it was a non-referral service we had here, so they could just come in whenever they needed a parcel.

“Now we've got people turning up and we don't have any food to give them. The only thing we can do is redirect them somewhere like The Gate.”

The Gate Charity's service, however, operates a referral system and it could take some time for people to get listed.

May added: “It's absolutely awful, it's terrible. We know that some of these people are actually working, it's a case of they're on a low income, so it's through no fault of their own that they can't afford to buy all the things they need to make a substantial meal every week.”

She is working to secure funding to resume the vital service, but added: “When we are applying for funding, it could be that we're up against another 2-300 people looking for the same pot of money.”

The manager said the service is “unfortunately badly needed”, the centre goes through around 50 parcels a week.

She is urging people to come forward and help with any ideas that could save the foodbank, or simply donate items at Sauchie Hall as the Hawkhill service is supplied from the one there.

Sandra Gruar, of Sauchie Active 8, said the group is “struggling” to meet demand at the moment and had to put the Hawkhill operation on hold.

She is also looking to secure more funding and has appealed to people to donate food at Sauchie Hall between 9am and 5pm every day.