A Dumbarton foodbank which is working flat out to help people cope with the coronavirus pandemic has announced its own "roadmap" out of the crisis.

Food For Thought, based at St Augustine’s Community Hall, has set out plans for how its services and support will change as the Scottish Government moves through three phases towards coming out of lockdown.

Lorraine McLeish, from the organisation, told the Reporter: "Our road map has been published to try and keep a clear and transparent service that is being provided."

"Phase 1 sees the "Able to Pay" service now stopped.

"This was a project that we set up at the beginning of lockdown when supermarkets were at peak capacity and uneasy to access for shielded or isolated residents who had no local family or support network.

"Working with fresh food providers, we created our own mini-market that housed fresh produce and the daily essential shopping items, we also setup a system that our team could take payment over the phone or cash on delivery."

This meant that individuals, who were in a position financially and wanted to buy shopping, could place an order over the phone and pay with cash or card and have it delivered to their door on the same day.

Lorraine said: "This has been turned off now, as many of the supermarkets have adapted to suit the needs of local communities and we have been working with the local Morrisons to hand over the ongoing cases that we had to pick this up through their 'Doorstep Delivery' scheme."

She added that in phase 2, given that Food For Thought is based in Dumbarton and lockdown rules allow for essential journeys, they would ask residents to collect their emergency food aid directly from them in the town centre.

Lorraine said: "This is partly down to our volunteer drivers returning to work and we need to ensure that we have the capacity to maintain food provision.

"As ever, we will manage this on a case by case basis."

However, they will maintain delivery for those who are shielded and unable to get out.

In addition, Food For Thought has plans for pop-up collection points in Alexandria and Clydebank during phase 3.

More details on this will be given when the organisation moves into phase 2.

The organisation also plans to continually monitor each phase and make adaptations if required.