Andover Foodbank has welcomed a representative of the Queen as it continues working after one of the busiest years in its history.

Professor Khalid Aziz, a deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, visited the Foodbank, based at St John the Baptist Church on Alexandra Road, on July 13 to thank volunteers for their work during the pandemic.

He said: “It was a real pleasure to visit and view at first hand the sterling work of Andover Foodbank and the volunteers who stepped up during the pandemic.”

Lieutenancies are areas of the UK which are represented by a Lord-Lieutenant on behalf of the monarch. These are generally equivalent to ceremonial counties in most areas, though there are some differences.

They were first appointed by King Henry VIII to organise local militias in their county before the introduction of a standing army. It was only in 1921 that they lost the ability to call on the able-bodied men of a county to fight for them.

Hampshire’s current Lord-Lieutenant is Nigel Atkinson, who appoints a number of deputies to support his work. There are currently 42 in the county, who are normally appointed for their service to the community.

While visiting the foodbank on Tuesday, Professor Aziz was shown around the site by Jamie Symington, the group’s chairman, and Jenny LeLean, the foodbank manager. They told him more about their work, and invited him to have a go at packing a food box all of his own.

The visit follows the foodbank experiencing one of its busiest years on record, with a 30 per cent rise in demand during the pandemic. It supplied food to over 2000 children, and expects that the demand will continue throughout 2021 as the economy continues to be affected by Covid.

It has worked with a range of organisations, including Andover Market, to help support the most disadvantaged this year.