THE number of food parcels given out over 12 months by a county charity has broken the 2,000 barrier for the first time.

The startling figures were revealed by East Lothian Foodbank ahead of the group’s Annual General Meeting, which took place on Wednesday.

The charity has experienced an increased demand in recent months and is anticipating that to continue in the run-up to Christmas.

From November last year until the end of last month, 2,012 food parcels were handed out.

With a big demand for the service expected in the coming weeks, it is almost certain that there will be more than 2,000 food parcels handed out during the calendar year too.

Peter Dicker, manager of the Tranent-based charity, said there had been a steady rise in the number of three-day emergency food supplies given to people in crisis since the foodbank opened in 2012.

He said: “The continuing rise is a trend that is manifesting itself across the UK and it obviously means that poverty is on the increase as seen from our figures.

“We at East Lothian Foodbank have seen an increase of approximately 30 per cent rise in food parcels since the introduction of Universal Credits in April 2016 and this can be reflected by similar increases in other local authorities throughout the UK who have seen the introduction of the Universal Credit System.

“We will continue to meet the need in East Lothian to the best of our ability and wish to thank all who have donated to us and especially to our volunteers who are an invaluable resource.”

The charity provides a minimum of three days’ emergency food to people in crisis.

All those who receive emergency food are referred by care professionals, such as doctors, social workers and Citizens Advice Bureau staff.

Less than five per cent of Foodbank clients are homeless, with many clients working families struggling to make ends meet.

The charity has launched a festive appeal in a bid to help out people across East Lothian.

Jingle Bags aims to provide about150 families with everything they need for a Christmas lunch, from treats and biscuits to stuffing, gravy and bread sauce.

Mr Dicker added: “People in East Lothian are always very generous to the Foodbank at Christmas time, and this year we want to do more for our clients than just supply the obvious basics.

“The Foodbank has seen an uplift in demand for our food parcels of roughly a third in the last 12 months and we know that many people referred to us are affected by Universal Credit.”

And he added: “We noticed a real ‘pinch point’ in August when the local children went back to school and many families had spent so much on uniforms and supplies that they had simply nothing left.

“Christmas can be stressful too, with so many demands on very limited budgets.

“Our Jingle Bags appeal is a great way for individuals and groups to get involved in donating to the Foodbank, either with money or with specific items that we hope to give out over the festive season.”

The Foodbank, which is based on the town’s Civic Square, is always in need of long-life milk, long-life juice, tinned fruit and tinned vegetables but can only accept donations of non-perishable foods from the public.

Donations can be made at libraries, Tesco stores, churches or at the Foodbank on any weekday morning.