Generous people of Exmouth have been praised by Specsavers after donating a vast amount of food items to a food bank.

This comes at a vital time due to an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which has left many families and individuals in need of additional support.

Specsavers' store located on Exmouth Road set a goal to collect substantial long-life food items.

Volunteers and Specsavers staff at the Exeter Food BankVolunteers and Specsavers staff at the Exeter Food Bank (Image: Specsavers)

The drive was a success, with donations filling up every inch of a large car boot.

The purpose of the campaign was to aid families and individuals who are currently struggling due to the cost of living.

Exmouth Food Bank, which was set up 12 years ago by churches in the area, has been offering emergency food assistance to vulnerable individuals and families within Exmouth and nearby areas.

Ria Heskins, the director at Specsavers Exmouth, said: "I’d like to thank all the team and our customers for their generous donations yet again.

"It will make such a difference to people in need in the local area."

While some might assume that people require more support through the cold season, this is not necessarily true, according to Mr Heskins.

She said: "While the perception may be that people need greater support in the winter months, the summer can be equally tough – so if you do have any spare supplies at home, we know the food bank would appreciate you getting in touch."

Around 60 food parcels have been dispatched weekly by Exmouth Food Bank to assist people in times of emergencies.

The numbers have decreased lately due to the availability of more forms of support during the school summer vacation.

Many people in Exmouth still need support, with an increased number of single individuals rather than families turning for help.

During the previous year, the food bank supplied 3,512 food parcels in total, feeding 8,195 people, and the demand for the parcels has remained high throughout this year.

Shirley Newcombe, chair of Exmouth Food Bank, expressed her thanks to everyone who donated and to Specsavers for organising it.

She said: "This really is the calm before the storm, and collecting lots of long-life food now will help us as children go back to school and the colder months arrive - especially as financial donations to the food bank are down 30 per cent on the same quarter last year."

She encouraged people to get in touch if they would like to help.

If you would like to donate, Specsavers Exmouth is open seven days a week and can be reached by calling 01395 277107.