A CENTRE which helps desperate people in crisis has seen demand soar.

Karen Selley, manager of the Welcome Centre at the Methodist Mission on Lord Street, says last month was its busiest ever.

“People may think that summer is a quiet time and the winter months and Christmas are when we help most people, but we have seen a huge surge in people coming to us for help,” she said .

In July the centre gave out 369 food packs to people who have nowhere else to turn. Between 10 and 20 people a day walk through its doors in crisis.

In 2001 the centre gave out 497 packs, in 2006 2,464 packs and so far in 2011, 3,800 packs have been give out.

Karen said demand had risen dramatically as people experience massive delays in getting benefits through or crisis loans and they simply had nowhere else to turn.

Families were also struggling because of the economic downturn.

“Although we have had fantastic support from the community, tough times mean that people are finding it difficult to survive themselves so supporting others is quite a big ask,” she said.

Karen said she now had to start buying food for packs to give out, which the centre could ill afford, but she had no other option.

Last month around 30 volunteers spent the day at the Storthes Hall student village gathering supplies.

The annual trip provides valuable donations of food, clothing and kitchen equipment from students who are packing up and leaving for the summer and have many items which they are happy to give away. And they’ve been boosted by charitable donations from Armitage Bridge-based One17 Design, £1,000 from Slaithwaite shop Community Spirit and individual pledges of between £10 and £500 have all helped to swell the coffers.

But such is the demand from agencies and services such as Citizens Advice Bureau and housing associations who refer people to the centre, that cash is quickly running out.

Those the centre helps include people waiting six to eight weeks without benefits, those fleeing domestic violence and people with physical and mental health issues.

It also offers support for the homeless, young vulnerable people estranged from their families, people with alcohol and drugs issues, asylum seekers, families with debt, job losses and redundancy.

The Welcome Centre is always short of long-life milk, tinned meat and fish, soup, jam, meat paste, pans, quilts, sleeping bags, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant and disposable razors.

For more information, or to find out how to donate, call 01484 340034.