A food bank in South Wales is being given a free pest prevention service as part of a new nationwide initiative. And Tonypandy pest control company Aderyn is stepping in to ensure food donated by members of the public each year does not attract unwelcome visitors during the run-up to Christmas.

Staff carried out a free inspection of the site in Rhiwdyfellin as part of National Pest Prevention Week, run by leading trade body the British Pest Control Association and will return to carry out proofing work. Trussell Trust foodbanks already have clear guidelines and practices in place to ensure high quality storage free from pests. But the service will help make doubly sure that the food bank has no problems over the festive period.

Simon Forrester, chief executive of the BPCA, said: “The food bank in Pontypridd is providing a vital service for so many people these days and, while the volunteers who run them do great work and already have great practices in place, we felt Aderyn could do something to help make their storage facilities even safer. No one is suggesting there is any sort of pest problem at the moment, but any large scale storage of food can create a risk and it’s vitally important to keep safe food that will be used for such an important purpose Prevention is always better than cure, so we wanted to work with the Trussell Trust to make sure food banks have the very best services in place to ensure that they remain pest-free and that any potential problems are avoided.”

The initiative is a key part of National Pest Prevention Week – an initiative designed to raise increase public awareness of all pests, how they can be avoided, and the value of using expert controllers.

Mr Forrester added: “Aderyn are experts in pest control and their staff can spot initial signs of an infestation or any potential problems. They’ve surveyed the property free of charge, provided advice on preventative measures and will carry out extra proofing work to ensure all donations are safe from the threat of pests. It’s about safeguarding public donations to maximise the amount of food available to those who need it, particularly ahead of what is bound to be a busy period for the centre.” The Trussell Trust is the biggest food bank charity in the UK, operating more than 400 centres nationwide in partnership with churches and communities.

Adrian Curtis, UK food bank director for the Trust, said: “Our figures show more people than ever are turning to food banks, so we must all do what we can to prevent and relieve hunger in the UK. The initiative with the British Pest Control Association will help ensure our working practices continue to be spot on and that the risk of attracting pests to our food banks is minimised even further. Our foodbanks do a fantastic job of checking premises and preventing pest issues within storage areas, but it will be good to have further expert opinion and advice on what more we can do to maintain our high quality standards.”