An emergency foodbank which has been a safety net for families on the breadline has closed after its funds have run too low to continue.

The Phoenix Centre in Mile Cross is a community hub which has been handing out food to vulnerable families and individuals on a weekly basis since the start of the Covid pandemic.

But the Mile Cross Road centre has had to turn people away having applied for a grant to keep the foodbank open in the long-term.

Norwich Evening News: The Phoenix Centre in Mile Cross RoadThe Phoenix Centre in Mile Cross Road (Image: Google Maps)

Ally McClagish, events coordinator for the Phoenix Centre, said: "We are doing everything we can think of to try and keep it going but times are tough for everyone at the moment.

"We are struggling at the moment but will continue to run the community café and work closely with Age UK and other services to give advice with bills and general support.

"It's just getting harder and harder to secure funding.

"As of next week, we are stopping the actual foodbank. We are still hoping to offer perishables for people but not the food hampers."

The foodbank supports around 50 to 60 households in the Mile Cross area of the city every week.

Labour's Mile Cross county councillor Chrissie Rumsby - who helps at the centre - said: "We were trying to feed as many people as we could but we have basically run out of money.

"It's very hard to see the struggles in the community at the moment. We just fed 30 people on Friday but 30 had to go without something.

Norwich Evening News: Chrissie Rumsby, Labour county councillor for Mile Cross in Norwich, in the kitchen preparing meals at the Phoenix Centre on the estate for families.Chrissie Rumsby, Labour county councillor for Mile Cross in Norwich, in the kitchen preparing meals at the Phoenix Centre on the estate for families. (Image: Simon Floyd)

"We have said up a fundraising page as we could not bear to turn people away. It did not seem like the right thing to do."

It comes as the average expenditure for Norwich households is expected to rise by £5,305 this winter as the cost of living crisis takes it toll on the city.

The Centre for Cities think tank has also calculated the Fine City's inflation rate of 10.5pc is higher than the national average.

The Phoenix Centre's GoFundMe fundraising page which is aiming to raise £1,000 can be found on the foodbank's Facebook page or by searching www.gofundme.com/f/taw3kw-phoenix-foodbank