THE Woking Foodbank received royal approval this week, when the Countess of Wessex helped local volunteers prepare deliveries for residents impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

Working alongside others at The Lighthouse and Sheerwater depots on Tuesday while observing social distancing guidelines, Sophie congratulated the hardworking team for their huge effort in helping to get hundreds of food parcels ready and dispatched.

Since it started its delivery service five weeks ago, Woking Foodbank has already made 400 drops, supplying food for almost 1,000 adults and children as part of an outstanding community-wide effort.

“We were delighted to welcome HRH The Countess of Wessex to our foodbank warehouse to join volunteers packing emergency food parcels,” said a spokesman.

“The Countess spent time assembling food parcels for delivery to the vulnerable in the Woking borough. She also heard from the staff and regular volunteers at The Lighthouse about the work the foodbank is doing to help those in need, as well as our other projects which are helping to support the local community.”

The Royal Family later shared the post on Instagram and Twitter in support of Sophie, alongside the hashtags #kindness #hope and #wearewoking.

For weeks, community groups, volunteers and businesses from across Woking have been rallying together as part of a major collective effort to provide assistance and support to local people impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.

Supported by generous donations from the public, churches and local businesses – and helped by a growing army of volunteers – Woking Foodbank and the Shah Jahan Mosque have been steadily ramping up deliveries of food and essential supplies.