A free food delivery service to families in need and will now reach almost 4,000 households each week.

Having already launched a service for families whose children receive free school meals and/or clothing grants, North Ayrshire Council's scheme has now widened to include more people.

The expansion will see food packages delivered to those homes most in need and means the Council will now reach almost double the number of households. The first of these additional deliveries started yesterday (Thursday) and will continue over the coming days.

Councillor Jim Montgomerie, Cabinet Member for Place, said: “This scheme has been an amazing success and has been very well received by all those who have been receiving the packages.

“Having been involved myself, I have seen first-hand how dedicated the staff are to getting these vital supplies out to families during what is a very troubling time for many. “We’re delighted with the feedback we have received and we are constantly refining and improving the way we deliver this service.

“Bearing in mind that we have set up a food delivery service to help thousands of people in just a few days, it’s been an incredible effort.

“I want to give a huge thanks to all the staff and volunteers who have been redeployed to make this scheme happen.”

The free food delivery scheme was originally open to the families of children in receipt of a school clothing grant and/or free school meals and more than 2,200 households are currently receiving the packages.

NAC have also received requests for approximately 1,500 additional deliveries going out to other families most in need.

They are asking recipients if they will require the packages on an ongoing basis to ensure we are reaching the households who experiencing difficulties at this time.

No delivery schedule is currently available, so NAC urges people to be patient as they work our way through the list of those who have applied.

Please note that we may not be able to return with packages if no-one is in. If you are popping out briefly, please leave a note on your door to leave the food pack on the doorstep.

Alternatively, you could ask a neighbour to look out for the van and get them to collect the pack. Please remember that some items will need refrigerated and the packages may vary depending on the supplies available.

If you are in an emergency situation and are having trouble accessing food, medicine or supplies, please contact your local community hub.

Contact details can be found here.