IN THE third of our features on the work of Basingstoke Foodbank, key figures address some myths about its work.

'It is just for scroungers', 'people exploit food banks', and 'Basingstoke is too rich to need a food bank' are some of the reactions the Gazette tends to get when we run stories on Basingstoke Foodbank.

So, this week, the organisations chair of trustees Phil Thomas and operations and development manager Paula Vallance have sought to bust some of these myths.

People can keep coming back, time after time, to get crisis parcels – While a few clients do receive more than one crisis supply, most get just three days’ provision to help them through an immediate crisis. Our guidelines to our partnering agencies is that some people may need one, two or three vouchers (three days' food supply) to cover a crisis situation whilst other help is being sought. However, some people's situations are naturally complicated and agencies may issue further vouchers as long as the client is working with them through the crisis.

People exploit the system to get free food – Every client's situation is independently assessed by a local agency before they are allowed to have a three-day food voucher to take to Basingstoke or Tadley Foodbank centres. Sadly whenever there is something free on offer, there are those who try to exploit a situation - we try our best to encourage our voucher issuing agencies to do as thorough assessment of a client's situation as possible before issuing a voucher.

It is only people on benefits who use a Foodbank – No, this is not the case. There are many causes behind people needing the Foodbank, and difficulties with benefits is just one. We've supported people in work who have had an unexpected bill or crisis situation and have not been able to make ends meet.

Foodbanks just offer food and not other services – While the provision of food is our key role, we also provide toiletries, pet food, some household products, and we have variable supplies most days we're open in the Basingstoke CENTRE of surplus bread, fruit and veg from local supermarkets. Also, we are increasingly trying to help clients to find their way out of the issues that caused them to need the Foodbank in the first place. For example, we now have a Citizens Advice Adviser on hand to give help whenever the Foodbank is open.

Foodbanks cannot tackle the root cause of poverty – True, but our umbrella organisation, the Trussell Trust, is lobbying government to reform the benefits system so that in the long-term, less people need help from Foodbanks.

We don’t need a Foodbank in prosperous Basingstoke – If only that were true. We're sure the 4,000 people we fed last year would disagree. Sadly many of us are only two or three pay cheques way from a crisis and many clients have previously had good jobs, but redundancy, employers reducing contracted hours, sickness or bereavement of the main earner in a household, suddenly becoming a carer of a close family member, domestic violence, family break ups or other money issues have forced them to seek our help. When our volunteers sit and listen to our clients visiting the Foodbank, they often say, "that could so easily be me too".

Foodbanks are for scroungers – Absolutely not. As we've said, every person coming to the Foodbank for food has had their situation assessed for need, and most are very embarrassed and distressed to have to approach us. There is a real stigma for many people about entering a Foodbank and they would much rather they didn’t need us!

We are so pleased we can be there for people in, what is for them, their lowest point. So many of our clients leave our Tadley & Basingstoke Centres saying they feel better just for being able to talk to our volunteers about some of the burden of anxiety and distress they're experiencing. We count it a privilege to hear their stories and to offer compassion, empathy and a listening ear.

Basingstoke Foodbank is searching for a new base of its operations.

To get in touch with suggestions for a new location for Basingstoke Foodbank, or any charity partners wishing to share a premise, email admin@basingstoke.foodbank.org.uk.