A foodbank is a bit better prepared for this winter – thanks to a bit of community spirit.

Mark Frankland, of the First Base Agency in Dumfries, was struggling for strong carrier bags to hold the thousands of emergency food parcels that will be dished out.

That was until Katriona Bailey, manager at the Nationwide Building Society, and Myra Smith, community champion at Morrisons supermarket, stepped in.

Katriona supported their application to a Nationwide funding opportunity which gave them £1,850. Then Myra got discount on a bulk order of bags for life from Morrisons.

Mark added that Katriona and her team gathered £2,500 by fundraising – topped up by their head office – to help buy 250 food parcels over coming months.

And Myra solved another problem by finding a way to help them bulk-buy value range goods for the parcels they were having trouble obtaining. She also keeps a collection trolley in the store which generates £4,000 worth of goods each year.

Mark said: “Katriona and Myra set out to make a difference – and they have. This coming winter is as threatening as any we have faced over our 15 years. Every answer will come from within the community, from the bottom up.”