The speaker of Hackney has organised a quiz night to raise money for the Hackney Foodbank.

Shaun Wallace from the ITV show The Chase will host the online event at 7pm on December 4.

It costs £5 to play individually or as a household team.

Cllr Kam Adams has nominated the charity for the remainder of his speakership, which has been extended past the usual year’s term because of coronavirus.

A spokesperson for Hackney Foodbank had already seen an alarming rise in those accessing its services before the coronavirus pandemic - but the lockdown made those levels “pale into insignificance”.

They added: “In the first three months of lockdown alone, Hackney Foodbank served more people than we did in the entire year of 2018. That’s over 5,600 mouths.

“Many of these people had been in paid work but were suddenly forced to stop overnight, with no safety net and no savings to tide them over.”

They added: “More than a quarter of the people relying on our emergency food parcels are children, and most of them are of primary school age.

“Last year we fed over 8,300 people.

“In comparison, this year we have already fed over 13,300.”

The charity distributes food from St John Hoxton’s crypt in Pitfield Street on Monday, St Thomas’ in Clapton Common on Wednesday, St Mary’s in Stoke Newington Church Street on Thursday and the Florence Bennett Centre in Cherbury Street on Saturday.

For more information on the quiz, email speaker@hackney.gov.uk.