THE stores of Okehampton Foodbank will be full for 'five to six weeks' thanks to Waitrose's Community Matters scheme.

During December, the foodbank was one of three charities selected to take part in the scheme. Last week, department manager Katie Warren presented a cheque to the Rev Barry Walton for £1,233 raised through the scheme.

Mr Walton, who helps run the foodbank, said: 'This donation means that we will have enough to buy enough food every week for five or six weeks to support people and families in need.

'We have not been quite as busy as we might have expected after Christmas, but what we have noticed is we have still got lots of new people coming along and using the foodbank for the first time. There are still lots of people out there discovering what we do, and how we can help them. That makes our work as important as ever, to help those who need it.'

Launched in 2008, the Community Matters Initiative has donated more than £3-million to a range of charities and community groups. Using tokens at the till, customers decide how to distribute a £1,000 monthly total between three local charities and organisations. Over the Christmas period, the store pledged an additional £1-million nationwide to provide extra support for charities through the scheme.

The foodbank is looking for additional volunteers. In particular, it needs additional volunteers to man its emergency phone line. Prospective volunteers can find out more by dropping into the Baptist Church from 10am to noon on a Friday, or calling Mr Walton on 01837 659733.