Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank
“Our numbers doubled within the space of three months.”
One in seven people in the UK is at risk of going hungry. Low incomes, a lack of jobs (particularly for people who are disabled or who have caring responsibilities) and high housing costs are just some of the drivers.
Not surprisingly, the number of people needing emergency support from foodbanks has doubled over the last five years. Foodbanks in the Trussell network gave out 2.9 million emergency food parcels last year. Over 1 million of those were for children.
Here in London, foodbank use has reached an all-time high. At least 454,750 food parcels were distributed in London between 2023 and 2024.
Hunger in Hammersmith
The rising need is a situation that Phil Storey, Chief Executive of Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank, knows all too well. He shares, “The cost-of-living crisis hit us in winter 2022; our numbers doubled within the space of three months. We went from feeding around 1,000 people a month to suddenly feeding 2,000 people a month. That meant we needed double the number of vans, double the amount of food and so on. In the winter of 2023, the number went up by another 500, so we were feeding 2,500 people a month for most of 2024.”
The foodbank ended up feeding 30,147 people across the borough last year. As one of its clients shared, “Without you I would have fallen apart, words can’t explain what you have done for me. I was sinking in quicksand and you gave me the branch to pull me out.”
The crucial role of volunteers
Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank could not survive without the help of volunteers. Phil says, “The vast majority of what we deliver relies on volunteers. Our foodbank sessions are run by a volunteer team. We’ve got volunteer drivers. We’ve got volunteers in our warehouse who sort all the food. We’ve got volunteer admin. We’ve got volunteer fundraisers. Our charity is rooted in the idea of local people volunteering to support other local people who are struggling.”
Volunteering with Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank
The charity is always in need of more volunteers. You can volunteer on a regular or ad hoc basis. Phil adds, “We get a real mix of people helping, including students. A lot of our volunteers gain really valuable skills, which they can then take into the workplace. We can add to people’s CVs, give them skills, give them experience and put them in touch with their local community.”
Hammersmith United Charities’ grant
We’ve provided several grants to the foodbank over the last few years. The most recent grant was for £6,185 towards the cost of training volunteers. Phil explains, “As a professional organisation, our volunteers need to meet minimum standards in areas such as food hygiene and safeguarding. However, the HUC grant means we can invest in additional courses. We’ve been able to ask volunteers, ‘What areas would you like to develop in; what training will be useful to you?’ and proactively respond to that need.”
Helping people to get back on their feet
One crucial role the foodbank plays is signposting. An assessor from Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham (CAHF) joins the client’s first session to discuss what support the person is entitled to.
The foodbank also directs clients to other organisations that might be able to help, and volunteers are on hand to talk about the challenges that clients are experiencing. Phil says, “Training our volunteers to have those more in-depth conversations is vital. While 66% of people only need our help one to three times, others have more complex, long-term problems. Training in areas like mental health and domestic violence helps our volunteers to have conversations that get to the root cause of people’s difficulties. By focusing on addressing those root causes, we can help people to get back on their feet quicker.”
As one foodbank client says, “There is always someone to talk to, on top of some help with food, and when you leave, you feel more positive, uplifted – that there are some good people in the world that care about you as a person.”
The charity is also running de-escalation training, so that volunteers can better support people who are experiencing extreme stress and anxiety.
Support your local foodbank
As part of a network of foodbanks, Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank is able to buy food at wholesale prices, so your money will have the greatest impact if you make a direct donation. You can also donate food at one of the many drop-off points across Hammersmith. You’ll find a full list of the items most needed here.
Phil says, “We have about 12 tonnes of food going out every month. Donations, of food, money or time, are the only thing keeping us going.”
Hammersmith & Fulham Community Compass
If you work for a charity or community group in Hammersmith & Fulham, please consider signing up to Community Compass. It’s a way for people to find the support they need quickly. As Phil says, “There are so many amazing agencies in Hammersmith & Fulham, but often they aren’t aware of all the other help that’s out there. Community Compass is a digital signposting platform aimed at residents, but it will also be useful for organisations. It means we can quickly and easily help somebody to connect with the breadth of support that is out there in our community.”
Guy is a retired solicitor who has lived in Hammersmith for over 40 years. As well as having a long legal career, Guy has decades of experience in the not-for-profit sector. He was a school governor for 35 years and spent several years volunteering as Chair of the Finance Committee at Hammersmith & Fulham Law Centre. If you recognise Guy, that’s probably because he also served as a local councillor for Hammersmith & Fulham.
“We recently represented a migrant woman who was trafficked to the UK by a wealthy family. She was forced to work extremely long hours as a nanny, housekeeper and cleaner. She didn’t receive anywhere near the minimum wage, and the family had control of her passport and bank account.”
Everyone at Hammersmith United Charities would like to thank Vivienne Lukey as she steps down after 12 years as a trustee, including six years as Chair.