Nearly 129,000 adults and children were fed in the 2011-12 financial year, compared with 61,500 for 2010-11, according to the Trussell Trust, the national foodbank charity.

These figures were reflected at the foodbanks run by Baptist churches, which fed 5,514 adults and children in 2012, compared to 1,869 the previous financial year.

Scunthorpe Baptist Church is one which is seeing a growing need. Set up in July 2010, in its first full operational year it fed just under 1,200 people. By the middle of May - 10 months into its second year - this was already up to 2,500.

The church's operations manager Iain Drysdale said there had been an increase in both the number of people requiring emergency food, and the variety of reasons behind it.
'We've just come off an extremely busy April, and May is looking as busy,' he said.

'There's certainly been an increase in the variety of situations. Although it's still predominately benefits delay, we're seeing a lot who are just struggling to make ends meet.'

Nationally The Trussell Trust is currently launching two new UK foodbanks every week to meet the growing need. One hundred new foodbanks have launched in partnership with churches in the last year alone, taking the total to 201 nationwide.

Executive chairman Chris Mould said it was 'shocking' there was such a need for foodbanks in 21st century Britain, but urged more churches 

communities to support and start foodbanks to meet the growing need.

'As the Government's latest budget begins to take effect we anticipate that more people in poverty will be forced to turn to foodbanks for help.
'Our vision is to see a foodbank in every town in the UK, creating a nation where no-one needs to go hungry.'

Iain said the foodbank at Scunthorpe Baptist had enabled the church to better know the needs of its community. In the process, the faith of some of the individual members of the church has 'rocketed'.

'It's been an amazing journey,' he said. 'It's only when you start to work on a project like this you truly understand the needs of the community. But we're also seeing that when people serve at the foodbank, they really find where their treasure is. Some have gone to new levels in their faith.

'Our bank of volunteers is growing all the time. We're partnering with 32 different organisations that are holding foodbank vouchers. Our local MP has championed it, and we've had a lot of support from schools.

'As a church our vision is to meet the needs of the community, and through projects like this we are meeting that need.'