AN East End community is to see its first food bank open.

The Everlasting Arms church in Dennistoun will open its doors tomorrow to locals in need of support.

Members of the congregation, led by minister Ynka Ogunnoiki, have been stockpiling food for weeks to make sure there is enough to go round.

Ynka said: "We feel there is great need for a food bank in our community. As far as we're aware, there are no food banks in Dennistoun.

"Areas of Dennistoun are very deprived and so we hope people will be able to make good use of what we have to offer."

Ynka and her congregation have been storing up non-perishable foods to share with people who need them.

They are currently taking donations of dried foods such as pasta, rice and cereal and tinned food.

The members of Everlasting Arms bought the church, on Whitehill Street, from the Church of Scotland three years ago.

Ynka said they have been paying off the £150,000 purchase price "little by little" and now that the money is nearly paid off the church wants to be more involved in the community.

The food bank will be open from 2pm until 4pm in the church hall.

The new Glasgow food bank comes as it was reported half a million Scots depended on a loan for food in one month this summer.

In Wednesday day's Evening Times we told how a report by the Debt Advisory Centre Scotland said young people were worst affected.

Statistics from the Trussell Trust showed 29% of food bank visits were due to benefit delays, 18% low income and 14% from benefit changes.

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk