IRVINE Rugby Club is to collect food parcels for the North Ayrshire Foodbank to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The club will be accepting donations on Sunday, May 31, at the Irvine Community Sports Club from 12pm - 4pm.

Members of the public can drop of any donations in the car park to ensure social distancing measures are complied with.

Club secretary Jim O’Neill said: “We have always seen ourselves as a community club and we have collected for the Foodbank before.

“We want to reaffirm our involvement in the community during these times so have decided to support this important cause.

“The amount of food that the foodbank is being asked to distribute is just ramping up and up during this crisis so that’s why our members are committed to helping out.”

The club has a number of measures in place to ensure those donating can do so in a safe environment amid the coronavirus crisis.

Jim said: “There is so much space in the car park that people will be able to socially distance easily when dropping off their donations.

“There will be people there from the club between 12pm and 4pm on Sunday but what we are asking people to do is to drop food off at one of the doors and then one of our members from the club will collect and store it.

“Once we have got a pile of donations we will make arrangements to donate it all to the foodbank.”

He added: “This initiative is for people who are really struggling with lockdown.

“If we can help to make their lives better then, that is part of how we view our position as a community club."

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