Residents from the Friends of Twickenham Green have collected vital food donations for the Trussell Trust food bank at the Vineyard in Richmond.

The food bank is run in partnership with local churches and is a part of the work of The Vineyard Community Centre.

It is part of a national network of foodbbanks, one of over 168 foodbanks providing emergency food to people in crisis nationwide.

The network is part of The Trussell Trust, a Christian charity committed to community action against poverty and marginalisation.

The Friends of Twickenham Green held a picnic on the Green Sunday, June 26, and collected donations.

They were handed over on behalf of the group this week by Sandra Roberts and Howard Roberts.

Sandra Roberts said the picnic and food bank support was carried out as an alternative to the annual fete.

"There were about 30 people in attendance but we were engaging with the public as they came over to donate.  Everyone was very keen to give towards a food bank," she said.

Demand on food banks across the country has increased against the background of the biggest cost of living crisis since the 1950s. At the same time, some locations around the country has seen a drop off in donations because households do not have spare items to offer.