A Christian company has come up with a new way for churches to help families who don't know where their next meal will come from. 

The Giving Stream Limited launched a project this week called 'Farming Food Bank'. 

In the scheme, church members are encouraged to buy a retail hamper from their church for £30 and another hamper is donated to local families in need. The hampers include 15 balanced meals

Giving Stream's Colin Kaye said: "We have the farm, butchers, chefs, equipment and expertise to produce food.

"Churches have congregations and a local feeding programme or plans to launch one. This project links us all together, working as one, in the name of Jesus."

Giving Stream will install a walk-in freezer on church premises at the company's cost, for churches joining the project. 

The company will stock the freezer with two different products - a retail hamper, which can be bought and a free food hamper, used for donations only.

Members of the church are encouraged to purchase retail hampers from the freezer at the end of services and mid-week meetings.  Every time a retail hamper is sold a free meal hamper is donated to the church. 

The church can then use the free meal hampers to feed people who are hungry within the area it serves.

Kaye said: "We passionately believe it is possible to do good and make money at the same time and if this was a common structure, the world would look a lot different to the way it does today."

'Farming Food Bank' was introduced at the Christian Resources Exhibition (CRE) in Stoneleigh on Wednesday.

More than 150 charities, missions and church suppliers will display everything from heating systems to evangelistic puppets, lighting to pilgrimages, candles to computers at the two-day event.

A series of 30 practical seminars, given by both regional and national experts, will cover issues of vital concern to an expected 2,500 local church leaders and members.