The Christian charity Blythswood yesterday unveiled a brand new premise on Glebe Street in Inverness that will house its shop and foodbank, aimed at serving the needs of those who require it most.
On hand to declare the facility open was depute provost of Inverness Bet McAllister.
Mrs McAllister said: “I was absolutely delighted to be here today as one of the pleasures of being a councillor is dealing with charities.
“In this day and age, having to have foodbanks is a disgrace to each and every one of us, and that is not just politicians and councillors.
“We have to find a way to stop the need for foodbanks.
“It is fantastic we have people coming in here and giving up their time to ensure families get fed and I am glad we have food to help them through their hard times.”
The charity works alongside over 150 partner agencies in identifying people and families in crisis and ensuring where required they are issued with a foodbank voucher to help ease their troubles.
Lorna Dempster, foodbank coordinator for Inverness and Nairn, said: “We now have our foodbank and warehouse under one house and that saves a lot of double handling for us.
“The volunteer support has been fantastic in getting the foodbank up and running. Merging our two Inverness foodbanks into one has meant it has been a busy time but they have been great.
“We are always looking for volunteers, in both the warehouse and our centres, or even just by donating food.”
In the past year, 53 tonnes of food has been delivered to 6,284 people around the Highlands through Blythswood’s foodbanks.