Newport Foodbank has won the Pride of Gwent Charity Award

This September, the team posted a public appeal for items such as tinned meat, vegetables, fruit and sanitary products - and the situation was just as stark when the Argus visited a month later with volunteers bracing for their busiest winter yet.

A recent survey suggested more than nine in 10 foodbanks had resorted to purchasing their own products in order to keep up with demand - a statistic that includes the dedicated team in Newport.

As part of the nationwide network supported by the Trussell Trust, the team try to get to know the people who walk through the doors so they can provide emotional and human support as well as practical steps.

Manager Jon Slocombe, who started at the foodbank as a volunteer, says they are "on a mission” to end the need for foodbanks altogether. By taking a collaborative and cohesive approach, Newport Foodbank has been able to arrange community allotments and debt counselling opportunities with Christians Against Poverty.

Trussell Trust foodbanks are expecting to provide more than a million emergency food parcels between December 2023 and February 2024 – a record high, equating to one every eight seconds.

Sam Allen, head of Wales and south England at the Trussell Trust, said: "It never fails to amaze us how much work food banks do to support their community. Volunteers and staff put their heart and souls into providing not just food, but a listening ear and all-round support to people facing hardship in their communities.

"With more and more people facing hunger and hardship, food banks' work has never been more vital for many people.

"We are incredibly delighted that Newport Foodbank has won the South Wales Argus Pride of Gwent Charity Award for 2023."

Newport Foodbank operates on Corn Street on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Christchurch Centre and Stow Park Church Centre on Thursdays. For more information, visit t.ly/pDFVu