Pembrokeshire hardship charity PATCH is extending its helping hand to a new part of the county with the opening of one of its basics banks in Saundersfoot.

Thanks to an offer from the village's Rev. Marianne Osborne, PATCH (Pembrokeshire Action to Combat Hardship) will have its new bank open every Wednesday between 11 am and 1 pm, in the schoolroom of St. Issell's Church.

And the adjacent church will be open every day between 10 am and 3 pm for a drop-off point.

"We've opened the bank because of a recognised need," said PATCH's co-ordinator, Tracy Olin. "A lot of people think that Tenby and Saundersfoot are completely affluent areas, but there are huge hidden pockets of deprivation, the same as all over Pembrokeshire and the UK.

"We are very grateful to the kindness of the Rev. Osborne in arranging for us to have this new base. She has been very pro-active to the community.

"We will be stocking a range of basic foods, either donated direct to the base by the public or brought over from our Milford Haven headquarters, and we always need tinned meat meals, other non-perishable food and fruit and veg. There is also a big demand for baby equipment, as a number of our referrals come from health visitors."

And very welcome recently was the donation to the charity of a large quantity of bedding following the refurbishment of a Tenby hotel by its new owners.

"We were thrilled with the donation from the Heywood Mount Hotel," said Tracy.

To find out further information about PATCH and things they do, see patchcharity.org.uk