A LIFELINE will be offered to struggling residents and families when a foodbank opens its doors in Leatherhead next month.
The team behind the Epsom and Ewell Foodbank are gearing up to establish the resource in the North Leatherhead Community Centre.
County councillor Tim Hall has been working with churches in the area to get the new foodbank up and running.
He said that in the Epsom and Ewell Foodbanks's ten months of operation, North Leatherhead was the area receiving the third highest number of donations.
Mr Hall said: "The point of the foodbank is not about providing constant support for the future but to solve the problems people are facing at the time."
He added that as well as food donations they would check that people who came in were getting appropriate support to deal with the problems that had led them to visit the resource.
He said: "A lot of people have difficulties with benefit changes or a short-term family crisis, and we will aim to solve that crisis and get them back on their feet.
"Our research has shown that the most represented group is actually single people, and there is a significant number of young single people coming into the Epsom and Ewell centre.
"There are all sorts of problems that can happen suddenly – what if you're a single mother and your mother looks after your children while you're at work, then suddenly she's taken into hospital? That's the sort of crisis that you can't always be prepared for."
Various groups including Mole Valley Housing Association, the Leatherhead and Dorking Citizens Advice Bureau and social services have been consulted in the development of the foodbank.
Mr Hall said 20 volunteers have already signed up to help with the new service, but that more would be very welcome.
The resource will be open on Saturday mornings. Full details will be released in the coming weeks.