A YOUNG Tavistock boy decided to forgo the tradition of getting showered with presents on his recent birthday and asked his friends to help the community instead. Tavistock Primary School pupil Schaefer Mann, celebrated his ninth birthday with a zip wire session at the Tamar Trails with a few friends whom he asked to not bring presents for him but instead bring items they could donate to Tavistock Foodbank. Schaefer's mother Ursula said: 'Schaefer asked his five guests to skip the presents and instead bring food for the foodbank for the gift that keeps on giving. They were all very generous. I was glad to balance out the very exciting birthday with some gratitude too!' She said they had done it before on his fourth birthday when they were living in Texas. 'It was mostly my choice then,' she said, 'He had 30 kids in his class and he didn't need that many presents and I just wouldn't have had room for it all so we decided to take donations for the Austen Foodbank.' Ursula said that this time however, it was Schaefer's decision: 'We had a great time and it was great for all the guests to still give him a gift but one that helps other people as well. The back of our car was filled with food — he was really pleased and felt really proud handing it over.' Schaefer presented Valerie O'Neill, from Tavistock Foodbank, with two boxes and two carrier bags of non-perishable food. Valerie said: 'It was quite unexpected. He has obviously recognised the need in the community and responded accordingly. We were absolutely delighted with the donation. It is also a credit to his parents who have obviously enforced a generous nature in him.' Tavistock Foodbank held its annual meeting last week, and Valerie said that demand for food from the foodbank had stabilised and had not grown since last year. 'We are only just starting to see more going out than is coming in,' she said. 'An increase in the elderly population has started to come forward for help, which we were expecting, and the amount of people on low incomes coming to us is still climbing — the number of people who don't claim benefits and are on a low income has almost tripled.' She said they had started to see a dip in their stock but they still had enough for the moment so are not appealing for donations just yet. She also said the finances were stable and they were able to buy new shelving to hold the stock to replace the previous ones which were put up in a hurry when the foodbank first started. 'At last year's AGM we had 16 agencies that were able to issue vouchers to people for the foodbank,' she said. 'This year we now have 25 so we are able to issue from a wider area. 'We also now have more locations in the town where emergency food parcels can be collected — the Payless Store in Duke Street and the housing department at the West Devon Borough Council offices at Kilworthy Park.' For more information about the foodbank visit tavistock.foodbank.org.uk