THE people of Malmesbury and surrounding villages have been generously donating to the Food Bank of Malmesbury.

Shoppers and colleagues at the Co-op have handed over gifts and donations totalling about £660 to local charities. Food donations worth £500 have been given to the food bank at the Gloucester Road store, an amazing amount at a time when food banks sometimes struggle for donations. As well as this, over £160 of kind donations from shoppers were used to buy presents for children in Malmesbury and nearby villages which were handed out at the Town Hall on Saturday (December 23).

Community Champion for the Co-op, Gloucester Road store, said: "I would like to thank our shoppers for being so generous with their donations. The funds help to support disadvantaged children in our region and ensures that as many children as possible wake up to a gift on Christmas Day, and the food helps to provide meals at what can be a difficult time of year for some families."