AMMANFORD school children and their families have been doing a very special food shop recently.

The caring youngsters at Ysgol Bro Banw have been making important shopping lists, finding the right product to help the struggling residents of the area.

The school organised a collection for Ammanford Food Bank, gathering bags, boxes and handfuls of essential food items for those who find themselves with no option other than using the services of the charity set up by the Ammanford Evangelical Church.

With essentials needed such as pasta, rice, long life milk and tinned goods joining easy to cook ingredients, tea and coffee and even treats, pupils enthusiastically got collecting.

The collections, carried out at both the Walters Road and Junior sites, were grateful accepted by Mydrim Davies, one of the founder members of the Ammanford Food Bank volunteers.

He told the Guardian: “Between when were began in May 2013 and this month we have fed 3,000 people. In two and a half years- that’s an enormous amount of people and when you think that half of them are children it’s shocking.

“We’ve collected 20 tons of food and distributed 17 tons to local people who have found themselves, for whatever reason, unable to feed themselves.

“I am overwhelmed by how much food the children have collected and want thank them, their families and the staff at Ysgol Bro Banw for helping us- it’s very much appreciated and really will offer vital support.”

It’s the second year that the school have organised the collection for Ammanford Food Bank.

Ammanford Food Bank is one of 400 in the UK run in partnership with Trussel Trust and operates through a referral service via frontline care professionals such as doctors and social workers. Clients receive three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food in exchange for their food voucher.

Tesco Ammanford will be hosting their annual drive for the Food Bank on December 3, 4 and 5.

The foodbank is open every Friday from 10am - 12pm. For further details contact them on 07804 189830 or email info@ammanford.foodbank.org.uk