Our stock turnover has been very rapid in the last few weeks. Since the end of February we have had some empty shelves, and we've even had to purchase certain items.

We are in particular need of the following donations: oil, jam, coffee, tinned fruit, instant mash, UHT milk, custard, sponge puddings, diluting juice, toiletries, cleaning products and washing powder. These items are included in every parcel we deliver, but they are not always obvious things to donate, which is possibly why we are running low.

On the other hand, we have thousands of tins of soup, so we were able to use this surplus to do our part for the local Ukraine aid appeal. We donated eight crates of soup to Ukrainians in need.

In our last newsletter, we announced an opening for a Volunteer Co-Ordinator to join our team. Now it's a delight to announce that Kerry Dennis took up the role at the beginning of March.

Kerry will be familiar to many of you, as she has been volunteering as a Duty Manager with us for over five years. Thanks to the Trussell Trust, we have funding for her position (16 hours per week) for the next three years. Welcome, Kerry!

Finally, as the cost of living rises, we are working together with the Citizens Advice Bureau to maximise financial support and advice for our clients. The CAB has provided our clients with valuable advice on welfare benefits and debt, as well as other issues including employment, utilities, relationships and housing.

In addition, the Trussell Trust has offered us the opportunity to extend the funding for this project by three years. We're currently putting together a funding application; if successful, it would mean that the CAB could employ a member of staff to work on financial inclusion and provide more general advice.