REFUGEES and asylum-seekers from the Middle East in Newport are getting a taste of home thanks to a Newport foodbank.

Olive oil, tortilla-style wraps and chickpeas are going into up to 30 food parcels a week put together by the Feed Newport CIC food bank in the city’s Commercial Road.

They were among a major consignment dropped off by Harlech Foodservice, who supply businesses, schools and care homes across Wales, and who have started making regular trips to drop off much-needed supplies South Wales food banks.

Gemma Walker, manager of Feed Newport, said: “We are so grateful. I had the phone call from Harlech saying they’d like to donate and then the lorry turned up and I just thought ‘Oh, wow’ - I was nearly crying.

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“It was just wonderful to get that amount and to think they’d driven for three to four hours to bring that to us.

“The smile on my face was just so big because I knew how many people that could feed.”

Among them are up to 30 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East and Gemma added: “Refugees only get £35 a week and they’re not allowed to work and many of them have large families so that doesn’t go very far.

“We are the only food bank I know of that provides Halal foods as well as chickpeas, pulses and spices in food parcels and if Harlech are able to help us out that way it’s brilliant.

“When my volunteers came in and saw what the Harlech lorry had dropped off they were gobsmacked because it’s the generosity of Harlech and our other donors is amazing – we couldn’t do this without them.”

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The Harlech delivery list also took in food banks across south-east Wales at Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Aberbargoed in the Rhymney Valley, Barry and Pontypridd, and they have more planned for the area in the coming weeks.

The deliveries are organised by Ceri Brown, Harlech Foodservices digital project manager, who said: “We have often donated to food banks but with the pandemic the need is so great and like so many others we were inspired by Marcus Rashford and wanted to do more to help.

“The effect of the current lockdown has been to leave us with too much stock so we have made arrangements and are delivering to the Feed Newport food bank and to other food banks across South Wales.

“Now that we know there is a significant demand at Newport for Middle-Eastern style foodstuffs we will try to make sure that our future deliveries can also cater for these unfortunate people and provide them with a taste of home.

“Gemma and her team at Newport and the volunteers at the other food banks are great, very enthusiastic, and are doing some incredible work and we’re glad to be able to help them.

“Overall we have up to ten delivery vans going out several times a week to food banks across Wales and the border counties because it’s an ongoing project.

“There are a lot of people out there facing really tough times and we’re just doing our bit to help them.”

For more information about the Feed Newport CIC go to their facebook page and for information on Harlech Foodservices to see their website.