THE boss of a foodbank has said it is ‘open for business’ and preparing for the winter ahead with a rise in demand expected.

Mark Hirst said volunteers at the foodbank in Briercliffe Road, Burnley, are busy sorting out food parcels with Christmas just round the corner.

The foodbank moved from Trafalgar Street three months ago and is now in newly opened furniture store SPE Furnishings.

It provides brand new furniture such as wardrobes, beds and sofas at a discounted price to help those with less money.

While the foodbank also offers a home delivery service which delivers food to those in need who are referred from agencies including the Job Centre and Citizens Advice.

It comes as charity Burnley FC in the Community lodged separate plans to create a ‘community hub’ in a vacant retail unit in Burnley’s Charter Walk.

The charity proposes creating a communal space with a library, public cafe, meeting room, food storage and staff areas.

But Mr Hirst, who runs Spacious Place Engage, said the current foodbank is ‘moving nowhere’ and is getting ready for a busy festive period.

He said: “We are a social enterprise who generate our own income to run community projects.

“One of these is the foodbank which operate on a home-delivery basis where we get referrals from local agencies including the job centre and Citizens Advice.

“The furniture store is key for us as it sells paints and household products such as wardrobes, beds and sofas.

“But these are all brand-new and not second-hand, and are offered at a discounted price much cheaper than what you’d get with somewhere like Bright House.

“The store is open to anyone and is there to generate income to run the foodbank and to offer a cheaper alternative to the poor and vulnerable who can’t afford to shop elsewhere.

“We welcome Burnley FC in the Community’s project and will be working closely with them, where we may refer people over to them.”

He said the foodbank has been running for seven years and has helped thousands of people since. As a whole, the social enterprise has two full-time and three part-time staff and an army of 25 volunteers, while the Pennine Community Credit Union are also based on the site, offering financial advice to people.

Mr Hirst said: “We get 35 referrals a week, ranging from young people who have lost their jobs or large families.

“We do always get a rise in demand over Christmas as people overspend their budgets, so we do offer some festive-themed parcels with mince pies and chocolate.

“ Our ultimate aim is to sell quality, new products at a discounted price and reduce the number of people who have to access foodbanks.”