COLCHESTER Council has pledged to “immediately step in” to support the “busiest foodbank in the East of England”.

As part of its plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, the authority’s cabinet agreed to use a cash pot to help support Colchester’s Foodbank.

Council leader David King said a “crisis budget” of around £250,000 will drive forward a three point plan aimed at helping struggling families.

The money will be used to address “rising demand and falling donations” at the foodbank, while appointing a “crisis co-ordinator” to help identify those in greatest need.

A report which went before the council’s cabinet said Colchester’s foodbank is the busiest in the East of England.

It said donations had fallen by 12 per cent since the Ukraine crisis, with demand rising by 12 per cent in the same period.

The report says the foodbank has “dwindling stock reserves” and “suffers from insecurity in the tenancy of their premises”, further highlighting serious concerns about pressure during the colder winter months.

Mr King said: “We are determined to help the most vulnerable through the cost-of-living crisis, to make continued progress on other pressing challenges, such as our environment and the climate emergency.

“We are determined to address the many issues that contribute to the quality of life, and the health and wellbeing of residents.”

The council’s three point plan seeks to offer “crisis support, increase the help available and reduce further hardship”.

The report said Colchester currently has around 3,000 applicants on the Housing Register, with 370 families classed as in “high need”.

Mr King said: “We need to help residents in difficulty find their way to better times, to pay bills, reduce costs, find work.

“We have fantastic officers who are working swiftly and with real imagination and passion to provide great advice and support to reduce the worry, the challenge, and the loneliness of those needing help and unsure where to turn.”

Figures reveal Colchester Foodbank fed 15,000 people last year, of which almost half were children, and the centre says the number of children experiencing food poverty is increasing.