THE manager of a community food sharing project has spoken of her “heartfelt thanks” to the people of Dumbarton and the Vale for the support they’ve given to the charity’s Christmas appeal - and to its work throughout the lockdown.

West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare has been busy operating from its food outlets in Alexandria, Dumbarton and Clydebank, with many health and safety restrictions put in place.

Its volunteers have also been doing a home delivery service alongside food bank partner Food for Thought for people referred by the West Dunbartonshire Council’s crisis team.

More recently, charity manager Clair Coyle has admitted it’s been a frantic and busy few weeks.

Clair told the Reporter: “What a strangely different year this has been for West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, as it has been for everyone.

“When lockdown started, for many reasons, the majority of our wonderful volunteers were unable to do their normal duties and it fell to our staff members to ensure that people in West Dunbartonshire who used our service continued to receive food parcels weekly.

“We moved to home delivery with the excellent help of the Community Payback supervisors and British Gas employees, along with a few hardy volunteers.”

And if it wasn’t for the kindness shown by local residents donating financial and physical donations to the service’s annual Christmas donation drive, the holiday season would have been even more bleak for many across Dumbarton and the Vale.

“The response to our Christmas appeal has been wonderful.” Clair continued.

“Educational establishments, local businesses, churches, supermarkets, shops, council employees, groups, families and individuals from West Dunbartonshire and beyond – including Glasgow’s Spirit of Christmas and Cash for Kids.

“We cannot thank you all enough for your wonderful and generous donations, which help us to make life that bit easier for the many people who are struggling, especially in this year of Covid.

“We have seen a drop in the donations this year – people who would perhaps normally have donated to us may have had their own finances affected by the Covid situation and several new groups have been formed this year which has led to a duplication of services.

“But with lots of financial donations either handed in or posted to our Leven Valley Enterprise Centre base or paid directly into our bank account, we were able to purchase toys and gifts to make up any shortfall.

“The Toybank, now in its sixth year, has already exceeded last year’s figure of 940 children and we are still packing toy bags for this Christmas, hoping that they will bring joy to the children of West Dunbartonshire who would otherwise have received little or even nothing at all on Christmas morning.”