TAVISTOCK has been given a £4,000 donation from the Devon Freemasons.

The county’s freemasons have made a series of Christmas grants to local foodbanks, bringing their contributions this year alone to around £28,500.

Exeter, North Devon, Buckfastleigh, Tavistock and Plymouth Foodbanks have received £4,000 each to help with the expected surge in demand over the festive season.

The grants to foodbanks in Devon were expected to help around 1,700 people over the Christmas period.

In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty – including 4.5 million children. During the pandemic, foodbanks supported by the Trussell Trust network saw an unprecedented increase in need. Between April and September, foodbanks in their network provided 1,239,399 emergency food parcels to people in crisis – of these, 470,854 went to children.

Overall, this represents a 47% increase in need during the crisis compared to a 23% increase seen this time last year. The last published figures (2018-19) suggest over 24,000 food parcels were handed out just in Devon.

The grant from Devonshire Freemasons is financed jointly with the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), which is funded by Freemasons and their families and friends across England and Wales.

Leader of Devonshire’s Freemasons Ian Kingsbury said: ‘It’s not been an easy time for anyone recently, and we were happy to support such a valuable community asset during the pandemic and we’re happy to help them again during what will be a very difficult Christmas for the most vulnerable people in our community.’

The MCF awards millions of pounds each year to local and national charities that help vulnerable people, advance medical research and provide opportunities for young people. It also helps fund vital services such as hospices and air ambulances.