FOOD banks across the country have been given a boost in their defence against Covid-19 thanks to the help and generosity of a Birchwood logistics firm.

Revolution Transport, based in Leacroft Road, has come to the aid of three inspiring teenagers in their bid to provide 10,000 free hand sanitiser supplies to food banks nationwide.

The company has offered to assist with the £100,000 charity project by managing the distribution of the hand sanitisers and offering the girls storage space in its warehouse – all free of charge.

Revolution became involved with the project, the brainchild of sisters Anushka and Anika Patel and their younger cousin Sasha Mehmet, through its customer, Newport Industries.

The young women learnt that some foodbanks are having to support more than 3,000 extra people each day because of coronavirus, which is why they spent their summer planning to tackle the crisis.

Mark Davies, warehouse manager for Revolution Transport, said: “We were delighted to help with this project set up by the girls at such an important time.

“We had the capacity and bandwidth to assist both in the free storage and distribution direct to the front-line volunteers and those in need.”

Project founder Anika, 17, says that seeing the demand for food banks increasing on the news, and hearing how the need for hand sanitiser was a real issue, made her determined to help out.

She said: “Our dad who works in the chemical industry and was receiving multiple phone calls each day asking for specific components needed to make hand sanitisers.

“The price of the components had risen by tenfold, which then increased the prices of the hand sanitisers themselves.

“This led us to propose the idea of bringing in hand sanitiser and donating them to food banks and people who need it most.”

Together with her sister Anushka, 19, they researched which areas had the highest coronavirus rates and those badly hit by an increase in unemployment, allowing them to deliver sanitiser to the food banks with the greatest need.

“It was important for us to help as many different groups of people as possible, which is why we contacted a variety of religious groups who were also helping their local community,” Anushka added.

“We have also tried to contact a number of independent food banks, who may have not received as much funding and donations throughout the pandemic.”