Demand at food banks in Bournemouth and Poole has rocketed - but donations for services are dwindling as the cost of living bites.

Food charities have spoken out about the sharp rise in demand for their services, which is expected to worsen over winter.

Energy prices are tipped to hit £3,554 from October, then rise to £4,650 from January.

So between October and April – which includes the coldest months of the year – the average household will pay an equivalent £4,102 per year for their gas and electricity.

Debbie Coombes, Project Director of Bournemouth Foodbank, said: "What's striking is that in 2021 we only needed to purchase about three per cent of our stock, this year we've had to purchase nearly 30 per cent of our stock to meet rising need.

"Whilst donations are down, what's most alarming is the sheer number of people in need of emergency food provision which has risen 56 per cent compared to this time last year.

“This means that at Bournemouth Foodbank we are now helping around 1,100 people a month, rather than an average of 700 people this time last year.

"It's very clear that rising costs are pushing more and more people to crisis point.

“People are having to choose between putting food on the table and paying the bills. It's not right that people are forced to turn to charities because they simply can't afford the basics."

Poole Waste Not Want Not is a community shop for people experiencing financial hardship.

The charity works with a local food bank and six suppliers within the community to offer food at a discounted price, giving users of the service the autonomy to budget for and choose their own food.

Charity project manager, Erika Sloper said: “It's had a knock on effect on us, our collections at night have reduced and if we haven't got the stock in the shop, then we haven't got the food to support our members that desperately need it because they can't afford to go to the mainstream supermarket.

“We are a step up from a food bank so we support people at the next level. Which means they can come in and shop to give them the sense of pride, dignity, and control on their budgeting and we put it on the shelf at up to 75 per cent cheaper than anywhere else.

“As the supply chain lessens, we've had to start buying the stock so that we are still able to support our members, which has had a knock on effect on the charities finances.

“We’ve had a 40 per cent increase in demand over the last couple of months and it's not just about food anymore. It's about the cost of living crisis, people need support in other ways and food is just the start.”