THE first independent food bank in Oxford is appealing for funds after having to build a permanent base at a church.

For eight years, the Community Emergency Foodbank in St Francis Church, Headington, has provided food packages for individuals and families who have been referred to them through agencies and services.

After having to leave rent-free storage accommodation, the charity has had to purchase a prefabricated building to use as a food store.

Director, Jane Benyon, said: "We were so fortunate to be offered rent free storage from Nelson three years ago.

"Unfortunately for us they moved out of the area and so we had to move out.

"We have a good relationship with the church here and they have given us the ground site for the portacabin.

"It was a huge undertaking to get it in, however, as we had to use a crane to lift it in from the side."

The 69-year-old said the total costs of the new prefabricated building amounted to £29,000.

She added: "We know that in three years we will make the investment back as we do not have to pay extortionate rent prices.

"But it means we need to build up our resources again so we can continue to provide and help these families in need."

Over the years the food bank has fed hundreds of individuals and families, with 117 adults and 105 children receiving food parcels in March alone this year.

Each food parcel contains enough food, all of which is non-perishable, for three days.

But Mrs Benyon said that due to a lack of an official database, which records who uses what service and why in the county, it is very difficult to know how many people have been helped.

She said: "We have a very strict policy here, where people have to be referred from social services, or the church.

"Sometimes we have people that come just the once who we never see again, others are more regular.

"The trouble is the figures we do have do not give us a huge picture about what is going on.

"You have different groups of people coming here with different needs and if we want to show to government that there is a problem and a need for change we need to have evidence to back it up."

The Trussell Trust, a national food bank network, hopes to create a Food Access Action Plan for the city which will share information across its food banks and the independents.

The food bank and cafe are open every Thursday and Friday from 12pm to 2pm at St Francis Church, in Hollow Way.

For more information and to donate visit: cefoxford.co.uk