Get Help
How to get help
If your income is too low to afford food and essentials, we are here to help.
If you live in the borough of Southwark, you can also apply for emergency financial help from Southwark Council.
How to get a food bank voucher.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for your situation, our food bank works with local agencies. If your income is too low to afford food and essentials, a local agency may be able to refer you to the food bank and issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis.
Local agencies that refer to Southwark Foodbank include: Citizens Advice, housing associations, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities. Southwark Foodbank is not a referral agency and does not issue foodbank vouchers.
1. Speak to the agency you are working with.
If you are being supported by a local agency, they may be able to refer you to the food bank.
2. If you are not in touch with a local agency who can refer you to us, you can:
Phone the Trussell Trust’s national helpline for free on 0808 2082138 and speak to a trained and independent Citizens Advice adviser. This helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (closed on public holidays).
They can help you address your crisis and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel.
3. Once you have been issued a food bank voucher, visit your nearest foodbank centre.
Please ask the agency who issued the referral for you to provide you with a physical copy of the voucher or the E-voucher code. Take the referral/E-voucher code to the next available food bank session to collect your food parcel. Please bring plastic bags with you.
You can find a list of Southwark Foodbank sessions and opening times here. You will be given an emergency food parcel and we will also help to support you in any other ways that we can.
If you have any further questions our FAQ’s page may help, or feel free to give us a call.