IT is a charity that has been a life-line for thousands of struggling families in the city.

And with Christmas drawing closer hundreds of the city’s most vulnerable people will be left hungry over the holidays.

Southampton City Mission (SCM) has been running a project that feeds more than 8,500 annually, for the last 20 years.

The basic bank feeds and clothes people who are struggling to make ends meet.

However their tired delivery van is on its last legs, which means the charity may be forced to scrap the service just a month before Christmas.

Now they have launched a campaign to get a new van as their current 10 year old vehicle is no longer fit for purpose.

The self-sufficient charity has seen a steady flow of people relying on the pop-up food banks.

The van collects and delivers food to drop of points five days a week from various points in the city including Shirley, Portswood, Sholing, Hedge End and the city centre.

With an estimated 800 people relying on the foodbanks over Christmas, there are growing fears that they will not be able to run the service with the current decapitated van.

Referred clients receive one voucher that they can bring to any of the food bank venues when they are open, to exchange it for up to 5 days of food for the people provided for on the voucher.

This will be a mix of tinned, packets and boxed food as well as fresh produce.

All of the food and clothes are donated by churches, schools, the public and businesses.

People interested in making a donation can leave items at designated Sainsbury’s and John Lewis stores.

SCM manager, David Osbourne said: “The bottom line is that without a working van the service cannot and will not exist. We cannot deliver the project.

“The van is vital to the project and the project is vital to the city’s most vulnerable people.”

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) released a report in which it says three million claimants of Universal Credit will be £1,000 a year poorer by the time the scheme has fully replaced working tax credits in 2022.

The SCM fears that this change will lead to a large increase in the number of people relying on the free food facility.

Mr Osbourne, 42, added: “The working poor are now reliant on food banks as they often have to choose whether to heat their homes or put food on the table.

“People arrive to the food banks in nice clothes straight from work.

“It only takes one or two changes to circumstances that can lead people to using the services.”

If you have a van and want to help the organisation email: dave@southamptoncitymission.co.uk