Big-hearted colleagues at a care home provider have raised more than £700 for Ringwood Foodbank through an office raffle.

It featured prizes donated both by Colten Care and some of their suppliers.

Staff were asked at a recent get-together at the provider’s support centre, Colten House in Ringwood, to nominate a charity to support, with the food bank attracting the most votes.

Mark Aitchison, Colten Care’s chief executive, said: “The raffle was the focus of a get-together which we held in lieu of our Christmas party.

“It was truly heart-warming to see the response and the amount raised to help vulnerable people and families in the community.”

Accepting a cheque for £725 in respect of the funds raised, Chris Lee, chair of trustees of Ringwood Foodbank said: “This is a great example of the incredibly generous support we receive from individuals and organisations right across the community. We offer huge thanks to Colten Care.”

The foodbank supplies ‘three-day’ parcels of food, toiletries and household cleaning products, plus fuel vouchers for people on prepayment meters.

As well as Ringwood, it serves Fordingbridge and the Dorset communities of Verwood and Ferndown.

On average in 2021, the foodbank provided 560 meals a week.