Recent job losses result in food bank rise

The Okehampton Baptist church has seen a huge increase in the number of residents using its food bank. A number of local producers have been providing food for the parcels as the number provided each week has risen substantially from 2 to 50.

The recent redundancies at a number of food manufacturing facilities in Okehampton - job losses at Robert Wiseman Dairy, Polestar and Browne's Chocolates - has seen around 300 people loose their jobs, and therefore needing every bit of help they can get.

The Reverend of the Church discussed in interview the knock on effect that the redundancies have had on the village, stating that it is not only the employees who loose out, but also the local shops where these people would have spent their money.

The redundancies have affected families badly - some relied on work at the factories as their only source of income and as result, since loosing their jobs, have no money. Husband and wife, the Wonnacott's, are one of those families without an income and who are breathing a small sigh of relief at the sight of the food bank.

Whilst some of the factories have been bought by other food businesses, it is not yet decided if any of the Okehampton residents will get their jobs back.