A REDDITCH recruitment and training firm is gathering food to help local people and families in need over Christmas.

eResponse, based in Church Green West, has generously opened its office doors for people to drop off donations that will go to the borough’s branch of Foodbank, a charity that helps stop people from going hungry.

As part of the festive collection effort, the company is asking its clients and local people to drop off any non-perishable foods and provisions that the charity urgently requires by Friday, December 12 with the office open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm.

Foods that are wanted include juice cartons, instant coffee, tinned fish, puddings, tea bags, instant mash, tinned meat, soup, biscuits, rice and pasta.

The firm is also keen to collect Christmas sweets and chocolate for children and household items such as nappies, washing powder and toothpaste.

All goods collected will go directly to families in need across Redditch over Christmas once Foodbank volunteers sort the donations into parcels.

Trudy Harding, branch manager for eResponse, said: “Foodbanks are a lifeline for many families all year round but even more so at Christmas.

“Children and families should never have to go hungry and at this time of year it can be even more difficult. We are asking our employees, clients and members of the public to use our offices as a drop off point where they can leave items they wish to donate.

“To someone doing the big Christmas shop it can mean as a little as a couple of extra tins. To someone in crisis, it is an enormous help.”

About 60,000 families across the country are thought to go hungry at Christmas, including 20,000 children but food banks, part of The Trussell Trust charity, aim to help as many as possible.

For more information or to arrange collection of large donations, contact Trudy Harding on 01527 66688 or email tharding@e-responserecruitment.co.uk.