Braintree Area Foodbank Limited

No one should go hungry.

Braintree Area Foodbank have been providing food, for those in crisis, since April 2012 Our mission is to see that no one should go hungry. With centres in Braintree, Halstead and Witham, the need for our Foodbank is increasing with over 5,842* people fed in our last financial year (2020-2021), of which over 2,858 were children. We are sure you will agree that these numbers are unacceptable.

There are many reasons why someone may have gone in to food poverty and these range from

• Low income
• Benefit delays
• Universal credit
• An unexpected bill
• Unemployment
• Zero hour contracts
• Short term contracts

Imagine that you are on a low income and have to find the cost of an increased train fare, perhaps have to pay £9 for a prescription or have a fridge breakdown. These are the situations which cause people to experience a food crisis. Unfortunately, the difference between having food or going hungry is precarious for many people.

Our Foodbank runs on a voucher based system. People speak to one of our referral agencies to obtain a voucher and can then collect a food parcel from one of our centres. Visitors are welcomed with a smile, a cup of tea/coffee and have the chance to talk to someone in a friendly and non-judgemental environment.

We have a monthly shopping list and a number of donation points where you can donate food. We also have a ‘giving site’ where monetary donations, large or small, can be made. Whilst all food is donated, it takes over £76,000 per year to run our charity and continue to help those in need, so every penny makes a difference.