We put paper bags in our newspapers to help food banks

Recyclable paper bags have been placed inside every copy of today’s Clydebank Post as part of our annual Bank on Us campaign.

These bags can be filled with non-perishable food items and handed into your local food bank based in Clydebank and the surrounding areas.

All donations received through the campaign will be handed out to people who will be relying on vital food banks this Christmas.

It comes as regular food bank donors can’t help as many now need the service themselves.

West Dunbartonshire Foodshare revealed they are seeing more people year on year including a large number of working families.

Clair Coyle of West Dunbartonshire Food Bank where demand has outstripped supply (Image: Gordon Terris) Clair Coyle, charity manager at the foodbank, says the team have seen 'drastic' increases in the number of struggling residents who come to them for help.

In 2020, the bank saw an 84% increase in use which has never subsided.

She said: "Over the last four years, we've seen a big change in the demographics of people who are looking for support.

"We are now helping out a lot more working families, a lot of low-income working households are struggling terribly.

"Income isn't meeting outgoings at all for a lot of families now.

"We’ve had the change in the pensioner's winter fuel payments and we are anticipating quite a hard winter for a lot of local pensioners."

Clair says after the pandemic, it has been 'one thing after the other' for local residents.

She added: "Crisis fuel bills increasing, the cost of food increasing, the cost of living crisis; it just seems to have been a constant stream of things that are making household incomes more difficult to manage.

"There's such a high number of people experiencing hopelessness.

"We're always forward planning to make sure we are able to support people even amongst the increasing numbers.

"We're spending a lot on buying ambient food, whereas previous to that we would spend that on fresh and frozen foods.

"If anybody is in a position to be able to help out, whether that be just one tin they're able to put into the Bank On Us bag, it all adds up.

"We're really grateful for any support that you know anybody's able to provide."

Clair and her team of volunteers are planning ahead to help those struggling in the community (Image: Gordon Terris) As well as the food drive, the Clydebank Post will be raising money for our Bank on Us toy drive via GoFundMe - which will deliver gifts to kids who may otherwise not have received a present to open this Christmas.

Previous campaigns have brought in more than £15,000 and delivered around 100,000 gifts to the city's most vulnerable children.

We are hoping our readers, nurseries, schools, and businesses get behind the campaign by donating.

All proceeds will be used to purchase toys which will be distributed to charities to be handed out to parents and put under the tree.

(Image: Newsquest)Stacey Mullen, editor of the Clydebank Post, said: "Times are tough, families are facing so much hardship amid the cost-of-living crisis, and if we can all take a moment to spare a thought for them and give something back, no matter how small, it will make a huge difference.

“The greatest thing about editing this newspaper is knowing that our readers all look out for each other and doing this campaign will no doubt prove that.

“So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us with Bank on Us.”

You can donate towards our toy bank by clicking HERE. 

The Bank on Us 2024 campaign is proudly sponsored by Allied Vehicles, Arnold Clark, Smyths Toys Superstores, SPAR Scotland, Stagecoach, StepChange, Storage Vault and Wise Group.