THE Holyrood Lace Mill in Chard is being used as a collection point for donations of food for the Lord’s Larder project.

South Somerset District Council is making its offices available where the public can take donations of food for the food bank.

The food will then be taken on to the official food bank provider locally, the Lord’s Larder, based at The Gateway in Yeovil.

A spokesman said: “Demand on the food bank rises by a fifth in school holidays when children are not getting school meals, so increasing the donations is crucial. A third of parents have skipped a meal so that their children could eat in during the holidays. Please give child-friendly items such as tinned tuna, sweetcorn and spaghetti, cereal bars and biscuits.

“Check that items are within use-by date and bring contributions as soon as possible so that these can be taken on to the food bank for immediate use at this time of peak demand.”

OtherThe collection points can be found at the Holyrood Lace Mill in Chard, Churchfields in Wincanton and at Brympton Way and Petters House in Yeovil. Donations can also go directly to the food bank at The Gateway in Yeovil, while some community organisations and churches already provide collection points.

It is important if “child friendly food items can be donated to help with the demand during the summer holidays.

The shopping list of recommended donations includes tinned tuna, cereal bars, packets of biscuits, long life fruit juice, squash, mixed vegetables, baked beans, tinned ravioli, tinned spaghetti, tins of sweetcorn and cup-a-soup.

The Lord’s Larder was established in 1991 and helps to supply emergency food parcels across South Somerset and North West Dorset.

Last year the organisation helped 2,717 adults and 1,458 children who were needing food support. The Lord’s Larder Food Bank supports and works alongside 60 statutory agencies that work with those to help alleviate local poverty, hardship and despair.

But a spokesman said: “All this would not be possible without the generosity of all those who happily support the Lord’s Larder.”

For further information about the Lord’s Larder please go to www.Go to ycstyeovil.org.uk for more details.