A NEW foodbank opened in Newport this week as figures revealed households relying on food donations had almost trebled in the space of a year.

The foodbank network charity, Trussell Trust, launched its fourth distribution centre in Duffryn on Tuesday after its statistics showed foodbank use had soared from 12,377 in 2012 to 32,500 this year in Wales.

The trust has already helped hundreds of people in need since it opened its first centre in Newport this summer.

Trussell Trust charity manager for Wales, Tony Graham, 48, said: “It’s wonderful communities are coming together for their own. With the rising costs of living and stagnant incomes, obviously we expect the situation in the short term to get worse.”

The Trussell Trust distributes the packages through a voucher system. Frontline agencies including social services, probation, drug and alcohol rehabilitation teams, housing associations and the Age Cymru charity can issue the vouchers.

The four Trussell Trust distribution centres are based at St Paul’s and Bishpool Methodist Church, Duffryn Community Centre and the Christchurch Centre in Malpas Road.

Mr Graham added: “Between the first six months of this financial year and the first six months of last year the use of foodbanks has almost trebled. We have already fed 300 people in Newport within a few months of opening.”

As part of a separate scheme, King’s Church, Newport donates around 200 food hampers to poor people at community centres and sheltered housing schemes in the city each week. Workers donate these hampers at Duffryn, Gaer and Maesglas community centres between Tuesday and Thursday.

Call Gaer Community Centre on 01633 784 068.