About
About our foodbank
Established in 2013 and based throughout the area of Torfaen, we are made up of a small team of staff and around 40 volunteers, overseen by a Board of Trustees.
We currently run a warehouse and 7 distributions centres across the borough supporting people who need help.
Our foodbank was a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in our local area. The Foodbank was established to provide emergency food parcels for people in crisis within Torfaen. Demand for our service grew and peaked during Covid pandemic with us feeding around 7,000 people a year.
Through generous donations, grants and much support the numbers have now reduced to around 5,500 people in need of support.
How we operate
We run by generous donations and grants from members of the public, local churches, community groups, schools and businesses. Food donations are collected from donations points or by our team and taken to our distribution centre for sorting where it is then put into a food package and sent out to our others sites for collection by those in need of our support.
We operate by a referral system working in partnership with local authorities, the health board, public services, local churches, schools and charities on the ground who can identify those who are struggling. This system has multiple benefits, it means that those who need help can get the help.
We also work with a range of partners and services (40 to 50 currently) to support people in the area. Some of the services include debt management, Life skills courses, Confidence with cooking club, warm hubs and more. These services are funded by the foodbank have encouraged other agencies to do drop- in session.
Our Aims
End the need for foodbanks– Our ultimate aim is to see a time when Torfaen and indeed the whole country, no longer rely on foodbanks.
To restore dignity and hope – We know there is stigma attached to poverty and that coming into a foodbank for the first time is a hard day for most people. We want to change this and make it a positive experience and show those who need support. To show them that this is just a season, and there is help and brighter future ahead for them.
To build community resilience and reduce social isolation– The foodbank hubs are not just a pick- up point for food parcels. They are a place to come and connect with others, chat, learn new skills, make new friends and make further connections either onsite or via support.
To see more of what we do and keep up to date with us find us on Facebook here!