NEARLY 18,000 meals were handed out by foodbanks and pantries in a single week in Southampton.

The city's first-ever food census revealed foodbanks handed out 11,000 meals alone - with pantries and food membership clubs dishing out 5,857.

Some 22 organisations took part in the week-long snapshot - revealing that an estimated 900,000 meals are given away each year in the city.

Organisers say the census shows just how much demand they are facing in the cost of living crisis.

One person using a community food club, who did not want to be named, said using this meant they could "have meals and turn on the heating".

READ MORE: We volunteered with a Southampton food bank– this is what happened

Another person - a widow and mother-of-two - added: "I would be struggling and I don't know where I'd turn to."

A parent who uses Millbrook Marketplace added: "Coming here means that I can feed me and my children. Before, I would go hungry so that my children could eat."

Duncan House is the general manager of Southampton City Mission - which the Daily Echo backed in our Boost the Bank appeal over Christmas and last summer.

He said: "We are pleased that groups have been willing to join in with this initiative to assess the scale of food aid provided in the city.

"When volunteers are busy, it’s one more task to keep count of what goes out through the doors and to send us the results, so we really appreciate it.

"The snapshot also gives us an easy way to start capturing trends in future years as to whether the demand is rising or falling.

"We counted 17,387 meals being served across Southampton in the week of the census, leading us to estimate that some 900,000 meals are served by the Southampton food aid groups annually."

Around 320 meals were served direct to people, and community larders and communal fridges gave out 175 meals.

The Big Difference in Woolston also took part in the census. Dr Sanjay Mall, from the organisation, said: "With other partners, we distributed over 12 tonnes of food in the week of the census.

"Stopping to count how much food we’ve shared is very encouraging because we know there is much need during this cost-of-living crisis."

The census was prompted by the Love Southampton project, funded by grant programme Faith New Deal.

Paul Woodman, from Love Southampton, added: "We are fortunate to have organisations like Southampton City Mission and The Big Difference from Above Bar Church to harness the goodwill of businesses and community partners to meet the rising needs of people hit by rising living costs."

The census was run in early December and will be used to gauge changes to demand in future.

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