A NEWTOWN charity shop which also serves as a foodbank says they’re seeing a ‘growing’ food poverty problem as they recorded their 10th year in the town.

The Salvation Army’s shop in Market Street has marked 10 years of serving the community of Newtown and the surrounding area since it opened in 2008 with an anniversary event on Wednesday, October 10.

And the organisation says it has overseen a steady rise in demand for its food bank service over its decade of working in the town, with volunteers and staff at the shop saying the problem is likely to get worse.

Territorial Envoy Samantha Jones has been heading up The Salvation Army’s work in Newtown for 16 years and was part of the team that organised the shop’s opening.

“Since we opened 10 years ago, the biggest change I’ve seen in this community has been the increase in food poverty in Newtown and the surrounding area. We’ve got a growing number of people who are looking to our foodbank – which is based at the shop – and our free Sunday breakfast, and I anticipate that the demand for these services will grow in the future.

“In the last decade, the thing that’s made the biggest impact on me at the shop is the transformation I’ve seen in people’s lives because of the support they’ve had from The Salvation Army. We’ve had unemployed volunteers coming here to get their confidence back and who have then gone on into paid employment. I’ve also noted an improvement in people’s mental and physical health after they’ve spent time here with us.”

County Councillor Joy Jones, who is also Powys County Council’s anti-poverty champion, was at the anniversary celebration event.

“In the past 10 years, The Salvation Army’s shop has been here to help people who have been struggling on low incomes – often due to zero-hour contracts and unemployment.

“The Salvation Army has made a massive difference to Newtown,” she said.

“Newtown would be a poorer place without The Salvation Army.”

Alma and her husband are regular visitors to Newtown Salvation Army and called into the shop for the celebration.

“We’ve been coming here every fortnight for the last year or so. We’re both pensioners so we’re looking for bargains and there are plenty to be had here. It’s always nicely laid out and you can find everything you need and you get good makes. There’s always a bargain to be had and you know the money is going to a good cause. The staff here are fantastic and the friendship we get here is incredible,” said Alma.

Newtown’s Salvation Army shop is located at 7-8 Market Street and is open between 9.00am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4.00pm on Saturday.

The shop currently needs donations of men’s and children’s clothing.

The Salvation Army in Newtown meets for Sunday worship at 10.30am at the Trehafren Community Centre on Lôn Derw in Newtown.