There has been a "huge surge" in demand for food parcels and hampers this year for Enniskillen Foodbank, the manager, John Shades told the Impartial Reporter.

John said: “It’s just been manic. Covid-19 and the subsequent pressures from it have put excess pressure on the foodbank.

“Lockdown one from March to September seen a 1,025 percent increase in demand. We have given away more from April-December 2020 than we did in all of 2019.

John and his dedicated team can see this impact when they consider the weights of all the goods that pass through their doors. He said “we gave away nine and a half tonnes in December 2019 and 11 and a half tonnes in December 2020

“On average because of donations the hampers have increased in weight by two and half kilos from last year.”

The Christmas and New Year period will always be a busy time for the foodbank, but Covid-19 has added extra pressures.

John said: “It has been a very busy time. We have seen professional people who have lost their jobs, or people who have their benefits stopped and have no where to go. There is a whole spectrum of people that we serve.”

Last year the group gave away 500 hampers, when speaking to this newspaper on December 18 they had given away 491 food hampers and had ten additional hampers already made up.

The foodbank covers the entire Fermanagh and Omagh council area

Previously the foodbank would have been serving around 130 individuals across the community in a week but now they are serving up to 200 people a week.

John and his team considered closing for two weeks during the Christmas holidays but have opted not to. John explained his decision: “We are an emergency service; we give emergency food. If we close where do people go?”

John’s volunteers stepped up to the mark and offered to volunteer during the Christmas period. He added: “I have the best and most dedicated, self-less bunch of volunteers who walk the face of this earth.”

John praised the community effort for raising funds: “The community has gone above and beyond, what we expected. People have been very generous with donations and financially.”

He cited various fundraisers throughout the year as being a key support for the group

John reflected on the role of the food bank in the community and said: “People see poverty and think its somewhere far away, but poverty is here in this community. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since December 1”

If you are in need of a food parcel there are several ways you can contact the foodbank

Enniskillen food banks works with over seventy agencies across the district, agencies can refer individuals to the foodbank but people can self-refer if they are in need.

John explained: “If people are in need, they can approach us at the door, we will need a few details but we will never let someone leave us empty handed.”

The foodbank is opened on various days throughout the week and has pop-up foodbanks in Irvinestown, Newtownbutler, Ballinamallard and Dromore, Co. Tyrone. Further details can be found on their website. https://enniskillen.foodbank.org.uk/