THREE Weight Watchers groups have joined forces to provide struggling families with food this New Year.

Members from Weight Watcher groups across Gwent have decided to launch a campaign to clear out their cupboards for a good cause with excess food going directly to food banks in the areas including Blackwood, Risca, Caerphilly and New Tredegar to help families in crisis.

Many new members will be looking for a fresh start this New Year, so Louise Jones, group leader for Ystrad Mynach, New Tredegar and Pontypridd, has launched the appeal to get members giving away food they no longer need to help them re-claim control for a good cause.

The Caerphilly council and children’s centre worker has teamed up with leaders Sue Worsford of Newbridge, Cefn Forest, Pontllanfraith and Cardiff groups, as well as leader Pat Morgan who also runs groups in the surrounding area, to get as many members as possible on board with the project.

Miss Jones, 35, said: “We will be asking members at my meetings if they would like to donate for a good cause.

“Over Christmas time everybody over indulges and buys things that go to waste.

“I intend to support a local food bank so instead of throwing out unwanted food items I will ask members to bring the food items in to the meeting where I will collect on behalf of the local food bank

“The food bank will donate our collected food to people and families in crisis.

“At the moment we have anything from 25 to 40 people attending regular meetings and around double that in January, so across the three leaders' meetings we are looking at around 600 people who could potentially bring in food.”

The food will go to food banks where recipients can use food vouchers to receive the donated items.

Miss Jones added: “We have no target yet but we hope to keep it running as long as possible throughout January and it could be something that we could continue in the future.”