Food Bank
Our Food Bank provides food packages to support those in our neighbourhood who are struggling to afford sufficient food to feed their household. We provide people with simple and nutritious food and essentials when they need it most.
Despite its repuatution as an affluent borough, Islington has the 5th highest rate of children living in poverty, after housing costs, in the UK.
According to new research by the End Child Poverty Coalition, over 15,000 local children (37.2%) are growing up in households struggling to make ends meet. And this rate has risen sharply over recent years.
Islington has the 6th highest level of income deprivation in London, and the 4th highest in the England for income deprivation affecting older people.
We don't think anyone in our neighbourhood should go hungry!
Our Food Bank originated as an emergency response to extreme local need and has evolved to provide regular food support to households every week. This sets us apart from some other food services, as our reliability aims to aid clients in redistributing their income, and accessing wraparound support and advice for other things they may need help with.
We commit to providing reliable, fresh essentials on top of redistributing surplus food we receive from our partners as well as longer life products. Our food boxes are based on household size, and aim to contribute staple food for each household over the week.
Alongside food we provide other essentials such as period products, toiletries and nappies. We also partner with various support and advocacy services, such as Age UK, who attend to offer wraparound services and sign-posting on any issue which our clients may be struggling to find support with.
How you can support us
Volunteer
Our Volunteers are our greatest resource and without them our Food Bank could not operate. These local people dedicate some of their spare time to help their neighbours. They embody the spirit of community and generosity.
We need your help so our Food Bank can continue to help our neighbours!
We are recruiting volunteers for various roles and tasks that help the Food Bank run. No Food Bank experience is necessary. Express your interest below to hear more about what we need help with!
Donate
The Food Bank relies on financial donations to run.
Help ARC Collective with its mission to create tangible and positive change in the local community for the benefit of everyone. If you have the means, please support our Food Bank with a recurring or one-off donation.
Donations to our Food Bank help us cover the cost of food products, staff time and they also contribute to The ARC’s essential overheads.
Our doors are always open to those who are in need of support
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Apply
Our Food Bank is currently oversubscribed but we do operate a waiting list. If you need help meeting your household food needs you may be eligible to join.
We operate a self-referral system. We serve a very local area consisting of households in N1 7_ _ and N1 8_ _ postcodes. However you should also be eligible if we are your closest or most accessible food bank. We will let you know once you have filled in the referral form.
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More Info
At this time we do not accept Food Bank vouchers issued by other professionals.
If you have any questions please call our Food Bank Coordinator Asha on 07727157138 or email on asha@arccollective.co
If you are not eligible due to your location, click below to see other local food support via Islington Food Partnership.