Kind-hearted residents have been thanked after rallying round for an Irvine foodbank – with one volunteer reduced to tears by everyone's generosity.

An urgent appeal was put out on social media after Irvine foodbank hub Girdle Toll Parish Church ran out of its supplies last week – with North Ayrshire Foodbank’s main base in Ardrossan previously appealing for more donations this month.

Vicky Harper from Girdle Toll Parish Church said: “The response has been amazing. It’s actually reduced me to tears. There’s a lot of talk nowadays about there being no community spirit but when people know there’s a need they really rally round.”

Rev Ian Benzie said: “It’s a fantastic response showing the generosity of the people of the area. There’s the general wish that it wasn’t necessary obviously and it’s a shame that we’ve got to do it, but we’ve got to try to help people who for whatever reason are unable to help themselves.”

Vicky added: “We’ve had a great deal of community support and great support from businesses. Sainsbury’s have set up a collection point for us, so have Harry Fairbairn, The Arena office and Scott’s in Kilwinning have set up collection points so donations can be dropped off with them.

“It’s an absolutely dreadful situation, in a country that’s the sixth richest in the developed world it’s disgusting that people are left in a financial situation where they can’t afford to feed themselves or their children.”

Donations can still be handed in to Girdle Toll Parish Church from 3pm-5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and 4pm-6pm Fridays.

Foods needed are cereals, soup, pasta sauce, all types of tinned foods, vegetarian main meals, hotdogs/meatballs, rice pudding/custard, UHT milk, longlife fruit juice, coffee, biscuits, snacks, tinned macaroni cheese/spaghetti bolognese/spaghetti.