WELL-deserving charities in Andover have had a much-needed cash boost thanks to the support of Advertiser readers.

Andover Foodbank and Friends of Vigo Primary are just two of the charities which have been awarded a share of the £128,000 UK-wide cash giveaway by our company’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation.

Readers have been collecting tokens from our newspapers which have then been used to allocate cash to their favourite charities. 

Thanks to votes from readers, Andover Foodbank has been given £1,292.60 to help those most in need, and Friends of Vigo Primary has been awarded £336.73.

In November, the foodbank said that it had given out nearly 4,000 parcels this year alone, with nearly 1,300 of those going to children – a 62 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2021.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, the charity is expanding the services that it offers to help struggling families, and the funds will help money go to where it is really needed.

Foodbank manager Jenny LeLean said: “It is really an honour to have been nominated in the first place and for people to have voted for us as well.

“The money we have received frees up other funds that we have got to help people.”

The money will be used for the children’s gift boxes and festive food hampers that the foodbank is giving out to those who are struggling financially this Christmas.

Jenny said: “We are just finishing up the Christmas gift boxes for children. We also do Christmas hampers and that is finishing this week, in those we provide food for people.

“We also provide all the extra treats that people buy at this time of year, so people have a chance to celebrate this Christmas.”

More than 900 hampers will be given out this year - a rise from last year.

Jenny added: “We would just like to say a really big thank you to those who voted, it is such a hard time of year and the money that we are getting means that we can get to more people.”

The foodbank is expanding the support it provides and will now be helping people with their gas and electricity bills which Jenny says will offer a “much more rounded package”.

Friends of Vigo Primary School previously said that the funds will be used to provide additional items for the pupils that are not included within the budget. This includes an outdoor slide for the playing field to be enjoyed by all year groups.