STAFF at a Dursley gym are hoping to help families in need by collecting leftover Christmas treats for a foodbank.

The team at The Pulse are collecting donations for the Stroud District Foodbank and are offering a special incentive to encourage people to contribute.

“We’re all inundated with festive treats at Christmas, and if your New Year’s resolution is to lose some weight or eat more healthily, you might be struggling to think of what to do with those extra boxes of chocolates and bags of crisps once the holidays have finished," said Pulse general manager Angela Gillingham.

"By bringing them to The Pulse, we can help make January a little brighter for those dependent on the foodbank, and we’ll waive our usual joining fee if you want to become a member.”

The Stroud District Foodbank was started in 2011 as a way of providing vital supplies to individuals and families throughout the area.

Throughout 2018, the charity has seen a 12 per cent rise in the number of people that require support – a trend that’s being mirrored throughout the UK – and while the food bank currently has a good supply of basic items, it is lacking more desirable items that its users are unlikely to be able to afford.

“By running the campaign, we hope to help people get a good start on their New Year fitness goals while cutting down on food waste,” said Angela.

As well as luxury food items, the food bank is also collecting donations of everyday items, including tinned food; dried food like rice and pasta; sauces in jars; breakfast cereals; UHT milk; sugar; tea and coffee; and biscuits and snack bars. Other donations of non-perishable food are very welcome, and toiletries and utensils, including toilet rolls, conditioner, and tin openers, are also in short supply. Any items donated need to have a good ‘best before’ date and be in sealed, undamaged packaging.

“We know from past experience that people will often throw food-related presents or leftovers straight in the bin after Christmas to remove temptation. Instead, by donating these items to the food bank, we can stop them from going to waste and give them to people who will really appreciate them.”

“Local communities have become the driving force in ensuring that food banks can continue to operate, and 90 per cent of all food given out at food banks comes from public donations. Therefore, we hope that the people of Dursley will get behind our campaign and do some good for the community while they’re working on their health and fitness,” Angela said.

Donations can be dropped off at The Pulse, or call 01453 546 441 for more information.