A VITAL Hillfoots foodbank has continued to serve the community, despite shifting its base every month.

Alva Development Trust has been moving its foodbank, stock and operations to the nearby Parklands Centre for a full week once a month while its original base at the Cochrane Hall is utilised as a community Covid-19 testing centre.

It has been a challenging logistics operation according to the trust's chair Mary Laing, but everyone is on board to ensure there is testing available to people with no symptoms in the area.

Mary told the Advertiser: "We want the world to get back to normal, if we need to have a testing station here – if that's one way of getting it – then why not."

The Cochrane Hall, ran by the trust, served as a walk-in testing centre last week with Mary giving thanks to the "absolutely magnificent" folks at the Parklands Centre for the space, which allows the vital foodbank to carry on its work.

The hall has also been utilised by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, which is set to return next month, and it will also serve as a polling station in the upcoming Scottish Parliamentary Elections.

However, what Mary desperately wants to see is residents returning to take advantage of what the hall has to offer.

Mary, who is looking forward to updated government guidance on the route map out of lockdown later in the month, said: "We have to find out how many people will be allowed at the one time, depending on that [we will know] what functions we can have again.

"We would love it to be back and opened up again, but when it is safe to do it."

The foodbank in Alva has been supporting people all around the Hillfoots during the pandemic and thanks to a donation from Alva Parish Church, Asda Alloa and more, some 140 Easter eggs were also delivered to families in need.

Mary gave thanks to all who supported the Easter donation drive.

She also explained how the foodbank may have to soon scale back operations.

The trust's foodbank deliveries, which may go as far as Muckhart, are currently supported by redeployed Clackmannanshire Council staff who act as drivers.

Mary said: "Without the drivers we are going to have to scale it back a bit and just stick to the more immediate area or people who can come pick it up."