A ROMSEY charity is looking for new premises just weeks after opening.

Romsey Foodbank was offered a new site in Abbey Walk, rent free and on a temporary lease last month.

But having only opened on February 16 the charity has been given notice to leave.

The charity’s team, which is made up of volunteers, pulled out all the stops to make it a space for the community to access support and emergency food.

However, the space will now be turned into flats, in what charity chiefs have described as a “change of circumstances for the landlord.”

Now the foodbank, which has fed more than 500 people and collected eight tonnes of food since it started last year, is faced with the prospect of having no premises to work from in a few weeks time.

Sim Dendy, senior leader of Freedom Church, which runs the foodbank, said: “Although we knew that there was always a risk of it only being a short term let, we were given verbal assurances that it was more likely to be six to twelve months, but this is obviously no longer the case.”

The service started from a temporary container but at the start of the year was offered rent free premises on Abbey Walk, which it currently shares with Freedom Church and Christians against Poverty in what has become known as the Freedom Centre.

However the latest news has cast doubt on its survival, but the team who run the foodbank have vowed they will keep serving the community whatever happens. A call is now being made to find an alternative base.

If you can help, phone 07967 735 693 or visit romsey.foodbank.org.uk.

Romsey MP Caroline Nokes added: “It is disappointing to hear Romsey Foodbank has been asked to find new premises so soon after securing its current space. We all know how hard the volunteers work to provide this service to families in crisis and I have been in regular contact with both the Foodbank and Test Valley Borough Council to see if there are any other spaces locally which could be used.”