Food banks are one of the most popular ways to donate food to people in need and one of the most relied-upon charity services.

With the number of food banks skyrocketing in the last decade, the Trussell Trust reported that the reliance on these has increased by 81% in the last five years.

With Christmas fast approaching and the demand for donations as high as ever, here is how you can help out those in need by donating food to charities across the UK.

How to donate to food banks for Christmas

There are a number of groups that operate food banks across the country with the largest such charity being the Trussell Trust.

The Trussell Trust

The Trussell Trust sets out a number of ways you can help out this Christmas and at every other time of the year.

One way donors can help is by donating supplies directly to your local Trussell Trust food bank.

Donate supplies

The Trust says that donors can either visit their local food bank or use one of the nearby collection points in supermarkets across the country.

Those interested in helping out can also organise a collection in their school, church, or business.

To find out what items the Trussell Trust is looking for, please visit the Trussell Trust website.

Financial Donations

There are a number of ways people can donate money to the charity such as through a one-time payment, a regularly occurring donation, and/or a legacy donation.

A legacy donation is when the donor leaves money in their will to a charity. Another way people can help out in this way is to donate in celebration, encouraging friends and family to donate in lieu of a birthday gift for example.

To find out more and the other ways you can donate to the Trussell Trust, please visit the Trussell Trust website.

READ MORE: ITV GMB: Viewers shocked by £7000 cut off for free school meals

FareShare

FareShare is another charity operating in the UK that aims to alleviate food poverty.

While donors can make a monetary donation online in one-off or regular payments, the main aim of the charity is to use food surpluses from businesses to help feed those in need.

Donate surplus food

Businesses with surplus food have an easy way to contact FareShare about donating such supplies that would otherwise go to waste.

The charity's website has a handy query form, putting businesses in direct contact with the team.

FareShare works with a number of companies such as Greggs, Co-op, and Tesco to help eliminate food waste and redivert supplies to those most in need.

To get involved and help out, please visit the FareShare website.