WOKING Foodbank is receiving much-needed money in the run-up to Christmas from local residents having their photos taken on their doorsteps.

The initiative, by photographer Liz Lockie, has been running for three weeks and is expected to raise more than £450 by the middle of next month.

Liz, who lives in Bisley, has been taking photos of families in her home studio for the past two years and decided to do the shots on doorsteps and donate the proceeds to charity.

“The shoots are running until 13 December so that the foodbank can have all the money for Christmas,” she said.

“My aim for this is to just raise as much money as possible for the food bank this Christmas and raise awareness of the work they do to support so many local families that need their help more than ever this year.”

Alison Buckland, the Woking Foodbank administrator, said the money will help with the costs of moving to new storage premises in Knaphill.

The foodbank has been using space provided at reduced cost by Titan Storage in Sheerwater, but has outgrown the 1,000sq ft container and is moving to a site double that size in the Lansbury Business Estate in Lower Guildford Road.

Alison said the new site has heating and lighting and provides the space needed for storing items that are now mostly delivered rather than collected.

“We are going to employ a new member of staff as our administration has gone through the roof,” she said.

The foodbank will be providing its annual Christmas bags but these will be delivered.

The volunteers will start working at the Knaphill site next week with donations being accepted from a date next month to be decided.

Liz said she decided to fundraise for the foodbank after her son went to a pre-school in Knaphill last year that helped the charity.

“I hadn’t really thought about it that much, but then saw that the list of things they need includes things like nappies and I wanted to help,” she said.

Liz grew up in Old Woking and has lived in Pirbright before moving to Bisley with her husband Matt, Leo, 4, Ella, 2 and stepson Ben, 14.

She previously worked in IT, including for Surrey Police, before setting up her photography business two years ago.