Redcar Area Foodbank running reverse advent calendar

A foodbank is asking for donations ahead of Christmas through a reverse advent calendar.

Tracy Gibson from the Redcar Area Foodbank said it was “always busy at this time of year” and the advent calendar allowed people to give something to the local community.

Every day, the foodbank reveals on social media which item it would like the public to donate, ranging from food to Christmas treats.

Alongside the usual essentials, it will be asking for items such as custard, cranberry sauce and gravy.

Ms Gibson said instead of people getting something from an advent calendar in December, it was asking them to give something to the foodbank.

“We have a wee bit more treats in December, so that people can get a treat if they are struggling and need a food parcel, there’s some Christmas treats in there,” she said.

The foodbank will also be asking for items like socks, scarfs and gloves to give people an “extra little surprise” in their Christmas parcel.

The foodbank is also running a small toy appeal alongside the reverse advent calendar to help as many families out in the area as possible.

Ms Gibson said the foodbank was “always busy at this time of year” despite Christmas, as people were struggling more financially because of increased heating costs.