A CHURCH saw a generous amount of donations for local foodbanks and charities to help people feed their families as the cost-of-living continues to soar.

On Sunday, October 2 St Peter’s Church in Plaitford got behind charities which are helping people put food on the table with the annual harvest festival.

The festival saw members of the congregation donate a collection of dried, canned and tinned goods for Salisbury foodbank as well as contributing towards a monetary collection for the Trussell Trust, a nationwide charity combating hunger.

READ MORE: Romsey Foodbank sees increase in families using the crisis charity amid the cost-of-living crisis

Several of the community’s farmers arrived in their tractors to attend the traditional blessing ceremony.

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Hilary Harper from St Peter’s Church said: “Frances Kellet-Clarke took the donated goods into the foodbank and was thrilled when it was weighed at over 51kg! This was in addition to more than £300 cash raised for the Trussell Trust from the congregation which the church has made up to £500.

"Celebrating Harvest Festival has always been important to our small rural community where we have the opportunity to say 'thank you', but it seems particularly relevant this year given the climatic and economic problems."

The festival began at 3.30pm with coffee and cake in Church Lane, near Romsey, before the hour long thanksgiving service at 4pm. The annual harvest festival was a first for Vicar David.

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