A faith group collected food and clothing for the needy after being inspired by an article in the Telegraph & Argus.

The Yorkshire branch of the Sant Nirankari Mission decided to collect food for the poor after reading about the Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank.

Last month, the T&A reported that Foodbank volunteers expected to hand out 400 parcels this Christmas, quadrupling the 100 parcels in December 2010 and doubling last Christmas’s amount.

The Mission, in Napier Street, started the collection as a result, and ended up with 50 boxes of food and warm clothes, to be split between the Foodbank and Bradford Soup Run, which gives food and clothing to homeless people in the city.

Mission trustee Atma Ram said: “We have received an overwhelming response from the congregation from both young and old members who have have embraced the spirit of Christmas, a time for giving and sharing through selfless service to help all, as advocated by the Sant Nirankari Mission.”

Foodbank volunteer Keith Thomson said the Mission’s collection was “quite staggering”.

He said: “They really had saved a lot of food for us. Not only did they collect it all and entertain us but they put it all into their cars and took it down to our place and carried it in for us.”