Foodbanks across Norfolk have urged people to give essential items ahead of the bank holiday weekend - but not Easter eggs.

Eastern Daily Press: Waveney Foodbank operations manager Matthew Scade has asked people to donate essential items rather than Easter eggs. Picture: Simon ParkinWaveney Foodbank operations manager Matthew Scade has asked people to donate essential items rather than Easter eggs. Picture: Simon Parkin (Image: Archant)

The plea comes as, on average, foodbanks are seeing half the donations and double the requests for food parcels due to the impact of coronavirus, according to Central England Co-op stores.

Instead of chocolate and sweets, foodbanks have asked people to focus on the vital food and essentials needed to create much-needed support packages for those who need it most.

While people have donated treats in the run-up to Easter, items needed for food banks include cereal, tinned food and fruit, tea bags, dried pasta, rice, long life milk, sugar, biscuits, fruit juice and squash, pasta sauce and instant coffee.

Matthew Scade, from Waveney foodbank, said: “We do not need anymore Easter eggs or sweets. What we do need is UHT milk and fruit juice, rice pudding and coffee.”

For Thetford food bank the top five items in demand are tea, UHT milk, rice pudding, pasta and soup.

Phil Williams, from the foodbank, said: “We have had a big delivery of Easter items such as chocolate and eggs so we are all set for that, it is staple items we have run out of and since the outbreak of coronavirus we have had less items come donated.”

The items most needed at Norwich foodbank are long-life fruit juice, milk and pasta sauce.

Hannah Worsley, project manager at the foodbank, said: “We have had an awful lot of treats donated but in a good way. However, we have enough of those to meet the demand at the moment and well into next week.”

One option for people wishing to donate is to leave food items at collection points at Central England Co-op food stores across the region, which supports foodbanks including Norwich, Waveney and Countrymans of Norfolk Meals.

Donations will be collected up from Central England Co-op stores and used to create food parcels, which contain around 11 items and will provide at least three days’ worth of meals for those in need.

Each food bank has a different donation system and needs different items, for more information on your local food bank visit www.trusselltrust.org