The North Guildford Food Bank is a Christian Charity that started in 2012 and was registered in 2020 with the Charity Commission. We aim to provide temporary help for individuals and families living in the Guildford area and the immediate outlying villages through supplying food parcels, as well as signposting to other helpful local services. Working alongside Guildford based agencies and churches, we try to ensure that no-one goes hungry. We are also able to provide some help to clients through Fuel Vouchers if they are using prepayment meters.
Having originally operated using garages as food donation storage around Guildford, we now are fortunate enough to have a base at St. Clare’s Church in Park Barn. This is where food donations are stored and to where clients travel in order to collect their food parcels. The facilities allow us to run a Cafe for our clients who travel to collect their food parcels. Our volunteer listeners provide a friendly ear for clients to talk to over tea and cake, as well as offer prayer with/for clients who would like it.
In order to receive a food parcel from The North Guildford Food Bank, clients have to obtain a referral from a recognised organisation. Some of our main referrers are: Home School Link Workers, Guildford Borough Council, Citizens Advice and Surrey County Council, but there are many others such as doctors surgeries, churches etc.
We have a vast range of donors who are vital in ensuring our stock levels of food can match the demand of our client base numbers. We are incredibly grateful and humbled by the generosity of those in the Guildford area who donate, to mention a few: The Guildford Lions, Schools, Churches, Businesses, Customers at Sainsbury’s Burpham & Worplesdon Road and Waitrose and also Private Individuals.
The number of clients helped has typically increased year on year. However, with the effects of Covid-19 and the rise in cost of living and energy prices, the number of clients has more than doubled since 2019. We are thankful for our generous Donors and our wonderful volunteers who continue to support us. We wouldn’t be able to provide help to those who need it in Guildford without them!