Gloucestershire charity Caring for Communities and People (CCP) has issued a rallying call to county businesses and residents for help during the coronovirus crisis.

According to the charity, which has been working to help prevent homelessness and strengthen families for more than thre decades, it expects "a considerable spike in demand for emergency food parcels and household items".

Cordell Ray, chief executive of the CCP, which has its head office in Cheltenham but operates county-wide and beyond, said: "We are living in an unprecedented set of circumstances in our lifetime.

"Our very real fear is that those in society that are the least well equipped to withstand some of the consequences of the current situation, will be the first to be impacted and will look to us for help with food parcels in large numbers.

"Some of the likely short-term implications the public could face include for example a reduction or total loss of income, which may well lead to people turning to us for the first time for similar help as well.

"There is a very sad irony that this comes at exactly the same time as perhaps unsurprisingly, donations have all but dried up and some of the products are not easily obtainable."

Some of the most in demand products required for food and emergency parcels include cereals and long life milk, tinned meat or fish, tinned potatoes and vegetables, soup, biscuits, tea or coffee, sugar, pasta and pasta sauce, toilet rolls, crisps, tinned fruit, toiletries, part baked bread, washing powder, curry/chilli sauce, ketchup.

He added: "We have sufficient supplies to last us a few days at normal levels of demand but nothing like the volume we think we may need, which is why we are issuing this plea for help.

"We are asking the people and businesses of Gloucestershire to ask themselves what they can do to help in this grave situation."

CCP have suggested a number of ways that people might be able to help:

Donate any spare items to CCP and collect them from friends, neighbours and colleagues. If people are able to do so they can deliver these in the short term to CCP at 340 High Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3JF.

Email CCP at foodshare@ccp.org.uk  if they have items they want to donate but are unable to get them to the charity.

Make a cash donation to allow CCP to buy products that are in most demand. People can make donations via the "Make a donation" page of the CCP website - www.ccp.org.uk 

People can volunteer to sort items that are donated or volunteer to be a driver to deliver food parcels to those in need.

Firms being forced to shut can donate any surplus food products.

Firms with storage or chiller facilities can also make this available to CCP.

Mr Ray, said: "The current situation is going to be difficult for us all. But we hope that the people and businesses of Gloucestershire will respond to our plea and help those less fortunate than themselves.

"We would be delighted to hear from anybody who can help us meet the inevitable increase in demand. We are also keen to work with other partner agencies who may have clients in need in much the same way that we work with them on our annual Christmas Hamper Scamper Appeal."