A VISITOR to one of Okehampton Foodbank's recent Friday sessions provided volunteers with a special surprise.

The Rev Barry Walton, who helps run the foodbank's Friday collection point sessions in Okehampton Baptist Church, tells the story: 'A lady came in to the Foodbank session, and she looked vaguely familiar. She sat at the table with me, and I assumed when she sat down that she was looking to pick up a food parcel.

'She told me she was a former employee of Polestar, and when everything blew up with the redundancies, members of the union were given what they were entitled, but the non-union members had to club together and employ a solicitor to fight for what they felt they were entitled to.

'She was one of those non-union members, and she told me that that issue has recently been sorted in the last few weeks. She had actually come in to donate £200 to the foodbank to say thank you for our support following the Polestar closure.

'We thought it was an absolutely wonderful gesture, and is something we really appreciate here at the foodbank. It was a great surprise.'

The woman was Mary Chartres, one of the 232 employees made redundant from Polestar in January 2011. As a non-union member, Mary and around 100 others had to fight to receive their protective award claim. After receiving their money in July and paying solicitor's fees, there was £200 left in the kitty.

Mary said: 'We had all been into the foodbank in the weeks following the closure of Polestar, and knew what they had done for people, so we decided to give something back. That is what society is all about.

'They were fantastic in the help they offered people in the aftermath of those redundancies, and the help they still offer now. We hope the donation can help them continue that.'

Things at the foodbank are currently going well. Mr Walton said: 'The last couple of weeks it has been quiet — last week we dropped down to handing out seven food parcels. You can never tell what it is going to be like. With the school holidays and children going without free school meals and things, we expected it to get busier, but it hasn't.

'In one sense we want to be used as a service and help people, but it is also encouraging to see that numbers are dropping and more people are back in work or not reliant on the foodbank at the moment.

'We are always open to more donations or offers of help, anything will be gratefully received.'

Gifts of food can be delivered to Okehampton Baptist Church on a Friday between 10am and noon, or to OK Leisure on Fore Street during shop opening hours.

Foodstuffs ideal for donation include tinned goods, potatoes, fruit, vegetables, corned beef, pasta and pasta sauce. Gifts of money, which will pay for much needed food, can be sent to Okehampton Baptist Church c/o the Rev B L Walton, 18 Limehayes Road, Okehampton, EX20 1NX.

Cheques should be made payable to 'Okehampton Baptist Church — Foodbank'.

Okehampton Foodbank is there to help anyone in genuine need. Visit the Baptist Church on a Friday between 10am and noon, or call the emergency freephone on 0800 978 8563.