ANGRY Amman Valley foodbank volunteers say it’s “scandalous” that the county council failed to share its £42,300 donation with the struggling scheme.

Last week Carmarthenshire county council announced it was gifting the sum to foodbanks in the county in the form of food vouchers.

But Amman Valley foodbank volunteer Emyr Rees said the team have been left angry that they were not considered for the donation.

He said: “Every week I have to find a new way of appealing to the people in our community for food donations as we receive zero funding from anyone and have to rely purely on the generosity of the public to continue doing what we do.

“To find that our county council have this emergency fund that you can’t apply for because someone decides where it goes, yet other wards in Llanelli are receiving a lot of money, is scandalous.

“Do the council believe that there is no food poverty in the Amman Valley? Don’t they realise that there are three food banks here within a four mile radius of each other?

“Funding should be more evenly spread across the county during these troubling times."

Cllr Kevin Madge, shadow executive board member for social care and health, says while he welcomes the news of food bank donations it is still not enough.

He is urging the council to find extra resources in the coming months to support the food banks in the Amman Valley area.

He said: “I have received complaints that some food banks have received less money than others.

“It is important the Amman and Gwendraeth valleys are given a fair share.”

Responding, Cllr Cefin Campbell, Executive Board Member for Communities, said: “We are so pleased to be sharing out this significant funding amongst food banks in Carmarthenshire, over and above the support the council already provides to them.

"As part of our ongoing support, we have reviewed food banks to see which areas of the county are in greater need. Unfortunately some areas of the county are suffering more than others and we have shared out our funding to ensure that extra help is directed to communities that are experiencing higher demand for help.

“Support has been offered to food banks in the Gwendraeth Valley, Cwmaman, Ammandford and Cross Hands, with the amount allocated based on their level of need. We’re still waiting to hear from some food banks as to whether they will be accepting our funding, and would encourage them to get in touch.”