FINANCIAL pressures are seeing more people coming to Christchurch Foodbank than ever before.

The food bank fed more than 800 people throughout December, which staff say in a "reality view" makes it the busiest end to a year the operation has seen since launching in 2011.

Over the last seven years the Purewell-based food bank has fed more than 10,500 mouths and now offers more services than just food supplies.

The operation now runs as a 'Foodbank +' after staff realised people needed more than just feeding in their journey out of crisis and to stay out of crisis.

Projects running alongside the established food offering include cooking and shopping on a budget workshops, a 'furniture bank' and debt advice.

Tracy Blick, projects managing co-ordinator at Christchurch Foodbank, said: "I don’t have a political view just a reality view and the reality is that this was the busiest December Christchurch Foodbank has seen.

"In the month of December we gave out food to feed 807 mouths, this includes 489 people (197 adults and 292 children) through the ‘Holiday Hunger’ scheme.

"We provide families who would normally receive a free school meal and breakfast club at school during term time with ‘Top Up’ food parcels to help them though the school holidays.

"Finding a hot meal per day per child in the school holidays can put a huge strain on families who ordinarily manage well.

"None of this would be possible without our volunteers and without the generosity of those individuals, schools, churches and businesses in our community donating to the Foodbank+."

Many Christchurch businesses are actively involved as part of the social responsibility program. Waitrose and Sainsbury's act as food collection points, and many private businesses in the town assist in a variety ways.

The food bank is managed by a steering group representing the 20 churches in the local area, in partnership with a Faithworks Wessex.