THE NUMBER of people using Ilkley’s food bank has approximately doubled over the past six months.

And some of those using the service are in full time work but still unable to make ends meet, according to the people running the local scheme.

The statistics were outlined at a meeting of Ilkley Town Council by food bank organisers Jane Wearing and Sandra Dexter.

The council agreed to give the group £800 after the donation was proposed by town mayor Cllr Mark Stidworthy. The money will be used to help equip a room that the food bank has just been given the use of.

A presentation about the Ilkley Churches Together project was given to the council by Ms Wearing and Ms Dexter.

They told the meeting the group had 32 volunteers at the moment and had seven families and 17 single people on its books, all of them on referral.

Ms Wearing said: “In the past six months we have probably doubled the number of clients we support.”

The meeting heard that people needed the food bank for a variety of reasons, including job loss or problems with universal credit. Some were struggling on benefits or because they had health problems - others were in full-time work but still found it impossible to make ends meet.

Ms Dexter told councillors: “We have people who are working full-time - and at the end of the week when they have taken out for the bills and shoes for the kids there isn’t enough money for food.”

She added: “They say I never thought that it would come to this - that I would have to rely on a food bank.”

The Ilkley food bank was set up in 2013 and has donation points at Tesco, Booths and the Co-op on Bolton Bridge Road. Volunteers pack about 50 bags of food per week which are delivered to people who need them.

The project has the use of storage spaces at Booths and at Christchurch, but now it is planning to set up a “one-stop shop”after it was given the use of a redundant office at All Saints in Ilkley.

Councillors heard that the new space would solve logistical problems and would allow the food bank to give clients some choice. The one-stop shop will also allow more face to face meetings with clients.

Councillors heard that the food bank was well supported in Ilkley and that people gave a “fantastic amount.” Referrals can be made by GPs, social workers, and Citizens Advice among others.