Caldicot Foodbank has received a welcome cash boost of £450 from Waitrose.

The money was handed over by Waitrose store's operations manager, David Hughes, and received by one of Caldicot Foodbank's younger volunteers: 21-year-old student Alex Evans along with Peter Strong, his mentor.

Mr Evans said: "In the eight months up to December we provided three days worth of food to more than 300 people, including over 70 children. Last week alone we provided over 14 food parcels."

Alex said that the money raised will go toward the purchase of a small freezer unit, which "will enable the Foodbank to provide bread as a staple item within the food items supplied, and ensure our food gives the recipients the opportunity for a balanced and nutritional diet".

The money was donated as a result of Waitrose's green token scheme. Last December the store's customers chose the Caldicot Foodbank as the local charity they most wanted to support.

Maggie Smith, a spokesperson for the Raven House Trust, said: "This donation is a very good boost for the Caldicot Foodbank. They will use the money to assist the people of the Caldicot and Magor area that find themselves in a temporary crisis and are unable to feed themselves or their dependants through that crisis".

Warehouse manager Diane Taylor who oversees the food going in and out of the Caldicot Foodbank, said: "We have been fortunate to have had the support of Waitrose before we even started providing food in May 2013. They helped with initial advice on storage and the management of our food stocks." Mrs Taylor added that she was also grateful that Waitrose had agreed to a food collection at their store over Easter.

Donations to the Foodbank may be made at the Caldicot Library, Caldicot One Stop Shop, and other collection points like the Post Office in Caerwent.

Current needs include breakfast cereals, pasta sauces, UHT milk, tinned spaghetti, sugar, jam and fruit squash.