About

About our foodbank

Here is an introduction to our project.

Southwark Foodbank provides emergency food to people in crisis. Our vision is a Southwark without the need for foodbanks.

Southwark Foodbank supports about 100 households each week with emergency food parcels which feed a household for at least 3 days. 100 households equates to at least 300 people and around 60% of these households are single people. We spend about £300 each week on fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure those who use our service can eat as nutritiously as possible. 

Unfortunately, reliance on food aid as a response to poverty has become increasingly accepted.

In a country as rich as ours, food banks becoming embedded within welfare provision is not right. We know that hunger in Southwark is not about a lack of food. It’s about a lack of income. We want to ensure that everyone has enough income to afford the essentials. Whilst Southwark Foodbank continues to provide emergency food to people in crisis, we know that emergency food is not the answer to poverty and no charity can replace the dignity of having financial security.  

We want to ensure that everyone has access to good quality financial support.

That’s why Southwark Foodbank partners with local agencies who are able to address the underlying issues that drive people to need to use the food bank. We have already seen the impact of having advisors from Thames Reach and Citizens Advice at our foodbank sessions and the financial gains they have secured for those that use our service.  

Organising together as a community in Southwark.

Our aim is to see a Southwark where everyone has enough money to afford the essentials and emergency food is no longer needed. But we can only achieve this by organising together as a community and campaigning to address structural local issues. Taking an organising approach means that our activities and campaigns are led by and developed with members of our community who have used our foodbank, pantry or have personal experience of financial hardship. Our community organising group “Voices for Southwark” meets regularly to discuss local issues and plan campaigns for a Southwark where everyone can afford the essentials.

How can you get involved?

To get involved with our community organising activities and join our local campaigns, contact our Community Engagement Officer Flora via email.

Pecan and Southwark Foodbank also support national campaigns, such as the Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree’s Guarantee Our Essentials campaign calling on the UK government to make sure that the basic rate of Universal Credit is at least enough to afford the essentials we all need, such as food, household bills and travel costs. Please join the campaign by signing up.

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