THREE special events are set to give extra help to Brightlingsea families in need this festive season.

Brightlingsea Foodbank is organising the events, with the first being on December 1.

This will be a Christmas Food Drive at the Fiveways Co-op, Brightlingsea.

From 9am until 4pm, volunteers will be at the door of the Co-op with leaflets listing grocery items needed.

If shoppers feel able to add an extra product or two to their shopping trolley, volunteers will be happy to receive these.

The second event will be a fundraising stall at Brightlingsea Christmas lights switch-on event on December 7.

The third will be a special entry at the Christmas Tree Festival at All Saint’s Church on December 7, 8 and 9.

Win Pomroy, who co-ordinates Brightlingsea Foodbank volunteers, said: “We are grateful to the Fiveways Co-op for enabling us to hold our food drive there again.

“This will help give a huge boost to the Foodbank supplies, on top of the amount regularly generated at the Foodbank collection points.

“We are delighted to join these events to add to the Christmas fun, and hopefully help remind people to spare a thought for those who need our Foodbanks, especially at this time of the year.

“Since January, Brightlingsea Foodbank has given more than 65 emergency food parcels to people suddenly plunged into crisis through no fault of their own, such as sudden illness, loss of employment, unexpected large bills and changes to benefits.

“Our job is to help meet their immediate need for food and signpost them to the most appropriate help organisations, so they can start to tackle their issues.”