DESPERATE people in Glasgow are walking miles for food.

An increasing number of hungry people in the city are turning to a small group of food banks, with some forced to go days without a meal.

More than 50 people gathered in Ibrox Parish Church last night to show support for plans to create a large-scale food bank, feeding people across the south-west of Glasgow. The project is being developed in response to increasing calls for help from local people.

Audrey Flannagan, who manages a food bank in Elim Church in Govanhill, told the meeting: "I saw a man who walked from Easterhouse to us in Govanhill for food and back again. He was starving and there was nothing else for him to do."

Audrey, who is also the administrator for Elim Church, added: "In August we were feeding 10 to 15 people per week.

"In January and February this was 60 people a week. Of the people we see, 80 % are single males aged 35 to 50.

"But we also have families where neither parent is on benefits but one is off work ill and has no sick pay and they have run out of money.

"Some of the people who come to us also work but the money just won't stretch and it only takes one big bill to force family finances into chaos."

The Govanhill food bank opened in November last year and has since fed 810 people.

Despite the increasing demand on the service, which runs on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1pm to 3pm, it never runs out of supplies.

Audrey added: "We always have enough donations.

"When I start to think we are running low, someone comes with more food."

Ewan Gurr, Scotland development manager from charity The Trussell Trust, which has fed around 13,000 in Scotland since April, told the crowd: "Hunger is not just a third world problem.

"It is something that is very real, now, in the south-west of Glasgow."

He read aloud an e-mail from another man called Jamie, from Govanhill, who contacted him after losing his job and exhausting his savings.

Jamie, who had a degree and previously held a well-paid job, said he had not eaten for four days, adding: "I don't know what, if any, alternative there is to stealing."

Greater Pollok councillor David McDonald spoke to the Evening Times about his plans to set up a food bank in his ward in January.

But he decided to expand the plans after he was inundated with calls for help and organised last night's public meeting to gather support.

The proposed new food bank will cover the wards of Greater Pollok, Craigton and Govan – an area with a population of 93,000 people.

Organisers now hope to set up distribution centres and collection points in each of the wards, as well as a base, and have called on local businesses, organisations and volunteers to get involved.

Contact David McDonald on david.mcdonald@ councillors.glasgow.gov.uk if you would like to help.

linzi.watson@eveningtimes.co.uk