Buckfastleigh foodbank opening sooner than planned
A new foodbank in Devon is to open earlier than planned after 100 people were made redundant from a yarn mill.
The Buckfastleigh foodbank had been due to open in May.
Managers said it was now to open on 16 April to help people who had lost their jobs after Axminster Carpets' shut its mill in nearby Buckfast.
The foodbank, coordinated by Buckfastleigh's St Luke's Church, said there had been a need in the area for such a service "for some time".
It added: "However, the sad events associated with the closure of the spinning mill in Buckfast have focused our attention."
Axminster Carpets was formerly one of Devon's biggest private employers.
It made 300 out of its 400 staff redundant in March, including those in Buckfast, after going into administration.
Company bosses said the move "could not be avoided" due to difficult trading conditions.
The company has since been bought as a going concern but with only 100 staff working at the Axminster site.