HART Foodbank is receiving a novel Christmas boost from a Fleet-based IT company.

Smart-IT Group is helping Hart Foodbank put a new spin on an old festive tradition to help ensure hundreds of people living in poverty do not go hungry this Christmas.

With just under six weeks to go until Christmas Day, Smart-IT Group is urging individuals, businesses and other organisations to support its ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ appeal.

Instead of tucking into a chocolate treat each day, supporters are being asked to celebrate the countdown to Christmas by putting an item of food into a box each day rather than taking one out from behind a window of foil.

The foodbank has asked for a number of Christmas goodies to be donated such as tinned ham, Christmas puddings, Christmas cakes, mince pies, fancy biscuits and chocolates, along with other essentials like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gels, shampoos, deodorants, washing powder and toilet rolls.

Michelle Kipling, Smart-IT Group owner, said: “Good food and basic household items are something many of us take for granted over the festive season. But Hart Foodbank customers face the bleak prospect of waking up on Christmas Day feeling hungry and helpless.

“Our Christmas appeal is a fun way for people of all ages to provide our Hart foodbank customers with two gifts they will treasure this Christmas - food and the knowledge that someone cares.”

The Hart Foodbank provide three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to people who are referred to it in crisis.

Supported by The Trussell Trust, the foodbank usually helps distribute over 200 Christmas food parcels during December and Smart-IT Group has vowed to match what individuals and businesses donate and will drop off their collection just before Christmas in a generous act of festive goodwill.

The Christmas initiative comes after the Hart Foodbank moved into its new home in time for the festive season.

Hart District Council had been working with the Churches Together in Fleet and Crookham to use one of its disused business units as a new storage facility.

The foodbank moved into its new location at the beginning of November after their previous storage facility became unavailable at a local school.

Christine Siddall, manager at the Hart Foodbank, said: “It’s great that we have been able to work with the council to bring a disused unit back to life and store our tinned and packeted foods in Fleet, so it can be easily accessed by our volunteers. My thanks to everyone for all the hard work to enable us to secure this storage facility.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the Reverse Advent Calendar appeal, can drop food off at the Smart-IT offices at United Business Centre Sentinel House, Ancells Business Park, Fleet, between Monday and Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm.

The last day for donations is Friday, December 9.