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of the Year Award, an accolade he went on to win.

However, the pensioner was keen to highlight the work of his fellow volunteers and the community which supports the food bank with regular donations

He added: “The donations were very low to start with, but now we get donations from the community such as the supermarkets, churches and schools which is fantastic.”

To donate money, food or essentials to the food bank, search for East Renfrewshire Foodbank on Facebook.

Renfrewshire Foodbank has seen a huge surge in usage since the start of the cost- of -living crisis with over 12,000 kg worth of food being shipped in one month.

From the start of December to the start of January, the food bank collected and packed 12,639kg worth of food.

This helped 1,123 people over the busy festive period.

Of the final total, more than a quarter of the people using the food bank were children aged between 0 and 16, with the biggest group amongst children being five to 11 year olds.

Adults who were aged between 25 and 34 also made the biggest contribution to the total, with a reported 645 users between December 5 and

January 6.

Over the course of the same period the food bank also shifted 586 parcels, with over half of them being single-person food packages, closely followed by small family packages.

The food bank, which is also operated by the Trussell Trust, has had great support from the local community when it comes to getting enough food to provide to those who are in need of it.

Local businesses also offer support such as Graeme’s Butcher in Paisley, which provides essential food as well as vouchers for mince.

If you would like to donate food or items to the food bank you can visit their donation site at Westways Business Park, Porterfield Rd, Renfrew or phone 0300 102 2500.