Residents are turning up to Hucknall Food Bank "in tears" as they struggle to cope with the cost of living crisis.

Its manager says more creative thinking is needed with donations – including calls for more toiletries rather than tinned and dry goods.

Yvonne Campbell, who runs the food bank at Under One Roof, on Vine Terrace, says the hub "has enough" donations of items such as beans and pasta and is unlikely to run out.

However, it has shortages of vital items such as cleaning products, washing powder and sanitary towels – which many people forget when donating.

The Hucknall food bank says it has seen a 77 per cent increase in usage since May as more people turn for help.

This picture is mirrored nationally as the Trussell Trust reported handing out more than two million food parcels in 12 months.

And Ms Campbell has laid bare a stark picture across Ashfield as councillors and community groups met for a cost of living debate on Thursday (December 8).

"People come in and they're desperate," she said during the meeting. "I have people in tears.

"They're really stressed out, and there are a lot of things people need money for but if people don't get fed, they don't live."

In the past, she has herself bought "two trolley-loads" of shopping to ensure people using the service get the items they need to "survive".

This is because some donations are not necessarily what her users need – meaning the organisation has to buy products itself.

"If anybody is donating, please don't give us any more beans," she told councillors.

"We've got so much beans and pasta and we never run out.

"People immediately think of beans but you can't live on them, they need toiletries and things to wash their clothes with, their pots and themselves.

"It's got to be a wide range of things and we also need money so we can supply the stuff people aren't donating."

It's as Ashfield District Council committed to promoting all food banks and food clubs across the district both on its website and in its Ashfield Matters magazine.

It was one measure in a 15-point plan aimed at helping households to cope with the cost of living crisis.

Food clubs are slightly different to food banks, requesting a subscription fee of about £3.50 a week, but offering £15 of food at a discounted rate.

And Teresa Jackson, manager of the district-wide Ashfield Voluntary Action, says these clubs are on the rise because of pride and long-term sustainability.

She told the meeting: "People want help, they don't necessarily want charity.

"What we do is get them into food clubs that charge a membership fee to give that sense of responsibility and respectability because they're not accepting charity.

"It's helping them to get their sustainability back rather than keeping them in poverty."

Thursday's debate heard poverty is on the rise across Ashfield as wages continue to stagnate.

Theresa Hodgkinson, the authority's chief executive, presented new research showing the average worker would need about £6,000 more a year "just to break even".

This is the result of bills rising from all angles.

It's led to more people reaching out to Citizens Advice Ashfield as they struggle with bills, credit card debt, council tax arrears and phone contracts.

The body says it expects to handle 5,500 clients this financial year – its highest on record – without yet hitting its typically-busy periods of January and February.

Kathryn Stacey, the organisation's chief executive, said: "There's a tsunami of people coming and it's people who are just about managing.

"We're seeing people who would've never dreamt of coming to us before. This is just the start."

The council's 15-point plan, announced during the meeting, also includes measures to support households struggling to pay their bills.

It includes extending opening hours of leisure centres to be used as free 'warm rooms', where people can access heating and hot drinks.

The showers at leisure centres could also be opened for people to use if they're struggling to heat water, while all council buildings could be used to allow people to charge phones and laptops.

These measures have not been finalised and the authority is currently evaluating how to bring them into effect.