A Dursley gym is hoping to help families in need this Christmas by collecting donations for a foodbank.

Staff at The Pulse will be collecting donations for the Stroud District Foodbank during the festive season.

The council-owned fitness centre has already started a collection of food, and have lined up incentives to encourage people to donate.

Food bank gifts will be exchanged for a voucher for a free class or swim during December.

Manager Ange Gillingham said they wanted to celebrate the switching on of the town's Christmas lights.

“The Stroud District Food Bank will deliver over 1,000 hampers to local people in time for Christmas and we want to encourage people to donate to such a worthy cause," she said.

The deadline for Christmas hamper donations is Friday, December 14.

This will give the foodbank time to make up and distribute the festive food parcels.

The list of items the Foodbank has requested for Christmas hampers includes tinned ham, Christmas biscuits, savoury crackers, boxes of chocolates, instant hot chocolate, nuts, luxury crisps and cranberry sauce.

The Pulse will continue to collect donations of food until Thursday, January 31.

Anyone who donates in January will be be rewarded by being able to forgo the joining fee on any of the gym's memberships.

For other ways you can help the foodbank, and to find out the nearest drop-off point to you, visit strouddistrict.foodbank.org.uk/give-help.