STROUD based charity Marah Trust has served a total of 10,000 meals to people in need over the past year, adapting its service to takeaway only for most of this period.

Demand for meals has doubled since the start of the Covid crisis, with Marah guests taking extra meals away for family and friends and those unable to attend for health reasons.

A quality, hot meal is served on Monday and Wednesday, with hearty sandwiches and extras served on Saturdays.

In response to demand, Marah is to provide hot meals every Friday, in addition to the current service, starting from August 2021.

The people who come to Marah include the homeless, those in poverty, people in addiction and those with poor mental and physical health. A recent survey indicated that a third of Marah's guests are completeley dependent on the charity as their primary source of food.

Marah's chair, Jackie Natt said: "Our guests have told us how important it is to them to have somewhere to go, where they feel welcomed, without judgement. Many feel isolated and lonely, and do not eat well between Marah sessions. People currently enjoy coming to collect a meal and having a chat."

Marah's service could not be provided without the dedication and hard work of its team of volunteers who gave a total of 2,846 hours of their time in the last year. Marah is now looking for volunteers to help run the Friday session.

For more information on volunteering and about Marah's work, please visit www.marah.org.uk