Ahead of this Sunday's day of good deeds, the JC had its own "Mitzvah Day", delivering food, toiletries and other essentials donated by shoppers at Waitrose in Temple Fortune to the Colindale Foodbank.

Welcoming the JC's support, Colindale Foodbank community team member Wonu Yoloye explained: "The food bank serves a high number of single mothers, and disabled and vulnerable members of our community.

"In the last year, we have handed out over 1,000 emergency food parcels to local families who would have otherwise gone without food due to the high costs of living in London. The simple, practical gift of food and support at the point of crisis changes lives."

Among those making the delivery was the JC's Gwen Horwitz who said that it was "heartwarming to see the kindness and generosity of the donors. It was especially wonderful that people from the wider community were interested in what Mitzvah Day was about and wanted to support our efforts."

Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks said: " You don't understand doing social action till you do it. When people see us, as Jews, literally on the streets of Britain collecting food for people who are hungry, and when you are one of those people collecting, explaining about food poverty and the growth of food banks, you feel it deep down inside."

We have handed out over 1,000 emergency food parcels