Norwich Foodbank is looking for people to organise Harvest collections.

A 'Harvest pack' has been prepared for people looking to donate to the charity which supports people with food packages during times of crisis.

The charity has grown rapidly in the last year so is needing an increasing amount of donations.

Last year Norwich Foodbank provided 253 local people with three days of emergency food in June and supported 279 people in July, while announcing the launch of its sixth distribution centre around the Norwich area.

This year the charity has provided food to over 400 people in each of the last three months and now has 10 distribution centres.

Project manager Grant Habershon said: 'Last harvest time we received a tremendous amount of food from harvest collections and this year we would really appreciate the same kind of response.

'Current economic conditions have seen the rising costs of food and fuel impacting scores of local people on the breadline and the collective effect of the recent changes to tax and benefits will hit the bottom third of the population the hardest and our care professional contacts fear things will get worse with the proposed changes from April 2013.

'To cope with the expected future demand we need to stock up our warehouse this harvest time, so we need the help and support of as many individuals and organisations as possible.'

Competitions are also being run by the charity, one for 12- to 18-year-olds to design a foodbank poster and the other for under-11s to design the foodbank's Christmas card.

Entries should be sent to Norwich foodbank Competition, Henderson Business Centre, 51 Ivy Road, Norwich NR5 8BF, with the entrant's name, age and address, school or youth group and telephone number on the back of entries.

The closing date for both competitions is Wednesday, October 24 and there will be prizes for the winner and two runners-up for each competition.

The Harvest packs will be available from www.norwichfoodbank.co.uk, or for more information email foodnorwichproject@hotmail.co.uk or call 01603 251733.