A FOOD bank has opened two new centres in Glasgow to cope with rising demand.

The Trussell Trust’s North West food bank has two new distribution centres which it hopes means more people in need can get to the centre.

The current foodbank is in Blawarthill and the two new facilities are in Maryhill and Ruchill.

In six months this year the food bank gave out 2500 three day supply parcels an increase on 30% on the previous year.

Some people were finding it difficult to travel to the foodbank either for disability reasons or lack of direct public transport.

The Trust hopes the new centres will make it easier for more people who are referred to get help.

Due to the difficulty of location for some, the foodbank volunteers have doing home deliveries for those unable to attend in person.

Kyle McCormick, project manager, said he was expecting the trend of rising referrals to continue.

He said: “We have been doing a lot of work to ensure as many people in need get help. It is only scratching the surface, we anticipate another increase over the next six months.”

The most common reason is benefit changes or delay to benefit payments and low income but other reasons have led to an increase in referrals.

Mr McCormick added: “The number of people with benefits stopped after investigations into fraudulent claims by government contractor Concentrix has had an impact.”

Concentrix did not have the contract renewed after it was accused of wrongly withdrawing benefits form people.

Mr McCormick said a number of asylum seekers whose applications have been denied left with ‘no public funds’ has also led to an increase.

However the main reasons are still benefit issues and low paid insecure work.

Mr McCormick said the foodbank recently received an increase in donations and people are more generous around Christmas.

However he said with no donation drives planned after Christmas the foodbank hopes to receive enough donations to keep it stocked until March next year as demand is expected to remain high after Christmas.

The two new foodbank distribution points are in Gairbraid Parish Church and Ruchill and Kelvinside Parish Church in Shakespeare Street.

The Trussell trust food banks are only accessible with a referral form an agency such as the Jobcentre, social work or housing associations.

In 2015 for the whole year the Trussell Trust North West foodbank distributed more than 4000 three day parcels.

It has donation points at various locations throughout the north west of the city with the dull list available on its website https://glasgownw.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

The Gairbraid distribution centre opened on Monday this week and the Ruchill centre will open on Thursday.