Foodbanks will be facing short food supplies as high summer demands cause a lack of supply for children.

Watford Foodbank are pleading for help and donations as the summer holidays causes a spike of demand for foodbank parcels.

Due to children spending more time at home in the summer breaks, families with low incomes whom rely on free school meals, struggle with keeping up with the additional expenses to feed their children.

Families seem to increasingly need the support of foodbanks, as last summer, almost 87,500 food bank parcels were provided to children by the Trussell Trust’s Network during – a 20% increase from the summer of 2017.

Andrew Tranter, the manager of Watford Foodbank, said: “For many families and children, the long summer break is a wonderful time to have a holiday and enjoy the great outdoors, have fun, exercise and enjoy a relaxing time.

“For many in our community, that is not the case; low income dictates a frugal lifestyle where the increased demand on limited funds, creates shortages on basic essentials like food and household goods.”

The foodbank is calling for donations of non-perishable items like: Ultra-high temperature milk, long life juice, sugar (1kg), pasta sauces, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, rice pudding, custard instant mash, biscuits or snack bars.

Watford Foodbank is open Monday to Saturday from 10am until 1pm, donations can be sent to: Unit 5 The Empire Centre, Imperial Way, Watford, WD24 4YH.