ALMOST three tonnes of food have been collected for families in need at Christmas.

The Evening Mail's Tonnes of Tins campaign was launched on October 27 and ran for six weeks.

The aim was to help build up stocks at Barrow Foodbank before Christmas. 

A tonne of food costs £1,680 and after the success of last year's campaign the Evening Mail decided to try to collect three tonnes.

Barrow Foodbank and its satellites fed 3,087 people and issued 1,307 food vouchers between April 1 and October 23.

In total 353.1 Kilos of food was donated and £3,676.87 was raised.

This amounts to just under two and a half tonnes of food for Barrow Foodbank.

Ann Mills, project manager at Barrow Foodbank, said: “At Christmas we have a lot more people coming in because people have gotten into debt, large families aren’t coping and the schools are on holiday.

“It is an extra burden on the families over Christmas so all food will be gratefully received.”

Supermarkets across south Cumbria stepped in to host the Evening Mail trailer and the appeal visited Tesco Extra in Barrow, Tesco Superstore in Millom, and Booths in Ulverston.

The money raised by the three finalists for the Win Your Wedding competition was also donated to the cause.

The winning couple, Vicky Griffiths, 21, and Jack Eastham, 26, of Crake Road, Walney, collected £1,555.68 for the food bank.

Coming in second place were Amber Walkden, 20, and Dane Stoddart, 31, who raised £900 and in third place Nicola Burns, 25, and Aaron Southward who raised £732.89.

Mrs Mills added: "This Christmas we will be seeing a lot of people for a lot of reasons especially after the floods that we've had.

"In addition to supplying our own clients we have offered to supply the food banks in the affected areas to give food to those in need.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has donated and we want to thank everyone for all their support.

"This donation will give the food bank a real boom."