Purley Food Hub - a food bank to help people in crisis in our community.

WELCOME TO OUR WEBSITE.

We are a local independent food bank set up by Purley & Kenley Churches Together.

 

How can I help?

If you are looking for a way to serve people in need in the local area, this is a great opportunity. We are an organisation run by volunteers from the local churches and community and would love for you to be involved.

 

How can I get help?

A time of crisis can happen to anyone, at any time. Should you be in need of help yourself, we are here to support you and your family - and we will continue to be here for as long as we are needed.

 

LATEST NEWS

Sun 07/04/19

Can you help? We need more Sorters, Stackers, Packers and Refreshment Volunteers...

We are currently looking for more volunteers to join our friendly Food Hub team. Specifically, we need more Sorters, Stackers, Packers and Refreshment Volunteers at our Distribution Centre in central Purley, and also more Supermarket Collectors. Details are here on our website: click on how can I help? in the menu (top right) and then scroll down to Help at our Distribution Centre. To find out more, please contact us on 07546 635295 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will arrange for you to come to a taster session. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Mon 01/04/19

Breakfast cereals, sugar, savoury rice and tins of plain meat most needed in April

Last month was our busiest-ever March since the Food Hub started in 2013, with food for 2,780 meals provided for hard-pressed clients and their families. It takes the total number of meals provided already this year to 7,300, and past 140,000 overall. Our April food list has the Top 10 priority items currently most needed, including 500g packets of breakfast cereals, small bags of sugar, microwavable packets of savoury rice, and tins of corned beef, chicken and ham. Also needed this month are jars of pasta sauce, tins of dessert fruit, and children's chocolate treats, and three non-food items: unisex deodorant, sanitary pads, and non bio washing tablets/sachets. Huge thanks once more for everyone's continued support.

 

Thu 21/03/19

15 trolleyloads of goods and £216 donated at Waitrose Sanderstsead

We had another very successful collection at Waitrose Sanderstead on Saturday 16th March with 15 trolleyloads of goods and £216 being donated. Thank you Waitrose customers as always for your generosity. Our next supermarket collections are at Waitrose Coulsdon on 13th April and the Co-op Hamsey Green on 18th May.

 

Tue 05/03/19

Magnificent Seven swim 106 lengths and raise £1,670

What a team! Our 'Magnificent Seven' swimmers - aged from 10 to 81 - completed 106 lengths of Purley Pool to raise £1,670 in sponsorship at Purley Rotary Club's Swimathon event on Saturday 2nd March. Well done everyone, we salute you: (front) Jude and Betty, (middle) Ernest, Louise, Winnie and Terry, (back) Howard, the team captain.

And below: (left to right) Betty, Terry, Howard, Ernest, Winnie, Louise and Jude.

 

Sat 02/03/19

Meat and fish paste and tinned vegetables and fruit head March's most-needed list

A further 2,000 meals were provided by the Food Hub in February to people going through hard times. These bring the overall total of meals to approaching 140,000 since we opened in 2013. In March, the priority items needed are jars of meat paste and fish paste, tinned peas, carrots and pulses, such as kidney beans and chickpeas, and tins of dessert fruit. Also needed are jars of strawberry jam and raspberry jam, and cartons of long life fruit juice and small bottles of squash, and non-food items are unisex shower gel and disposable razors. Please click here for the full list, including the places in Purley where donations can be dropped off. As always, thank you very much for your generous support.

 

Mon 25/02/19

22 bags of food are donated by generous shoppers at the Co-op Kenley

Shoppers at the Co-op Kenley kindly donated 22 bags of food and toiletries and £55.85 in our collection at the store on Saturday 23rd February. Thank you everyone - each item donated is always most gratefully received. Our next collections are at Waitrose Sanderstead on 16th March and Waitrose Coulsdon on 13th April.

 

Fri 01/02/19

9 priority items especially needed by the Food Hub in February

Food for just over 2,500 meals was provided by Purley Food Hub to people in crisis in January in a busy start to 2019. In the month that marked the Food Hub's 6th birthday, it took the overall total of meals provided so far to past 135,000. Our February food list has 9 priority items that are particularly needed just now, including tinned plain meat (chicken, ham, corned beef) and ready meat meals and tins of carrots, peas and dessert fruit. Savoury biscuits and long life whole milk are also listed, along with adult toothbrushes and size 5 nappies. We are so grateful for everyone's support.

 

Mon 21/01/19

Shoppers at Waitrose Coulsdon donate 8 trolleyloads of food and £146

The collections we hold each month at local supermarkets are a major source of the food that we can give to our clients and their families. In our first collection of 2019 at Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 19th January generous shoppers donated the equivalent of 8 trolleyloads of food and toiletries, plus £146.45. Thank you all very much - with big thanks too to the store's staff and management. Our next collections are at the Co-op Kenley on 23rd February and Waitrose Sanderstead on 16th March.

 

Mon 07/01/19

How you can get involved in helping the Food Hub

Our new How you can help leaflet highlights the various ways that people can get involved with Purley Food Hub by:

  • Helping with food collections at local supermarkets
  • Joining our team of volunteers
  • Encouraging your school/college, business or organisation to give support
  • Donating food
  • Giving money 

To view the leaflet, please click here. For more details, you can phone us on 07546 635295 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Tue 01/01/19

Peanut butter, honey, dried potato and tins of plain meat are our top needs in January

Jars of peanut butter and honey, packets of dried potato and tins of plain meat and ready meat meals head up the list of food items we need most for our clients in January 2019. The January food list also includes tins of rice pudding and cartons of long life whole milk, along with deodorant, shampoo and small bottles of washing up liquid. Thank you very much everyone.

 

Fri 28/12/18

Film feast of donations to the Food Hub...

We are very grateful to Croydon's David Lean Cinema and their patrons who today donated £318 and 12 big bags of food and other items to the Food Hub as 'payment' to see this afternoon's film, 'Babette's Feast'. We will be able to use the money to buy our next batch of pre-paid bus tickets for struggling clients who would otherwise be walking home with their heavy food parcels.

 

Sat 22/12/18

OUR BUSIEST EVER DAY AT THE FOOD HUB!

Today was the busiest ever day in the Food Hub's six-year history. Thirty-nine clients attended and we provided food for a total of 113 people; at three meals a day for three days for each person, that's just over 1,000 meals provided in the session. It took us past 30,000 meals overall in 2018, our biggest annual total since we opened in January 2013.

At the same time, 102 volunteers in 34 cars delivered 160 hampers, including a turkey and all the trimmings, to 160 people nominated by our food ticket partners as part of the Christmas Lunch On Jesus scheme. And last week 226 children received a gift and chocolate selection box through another Food Hub project, Toys For Joy.

We send heartfelt thanks and very best Christmas and New Year wishes to all of our volunteers, friends and supporters. Please click here to read our December newsletter.

 

Thu 20/12/18

Coloma girls come bearing Christmas food donations

Girls from Coloma Convent Girls' School today kindly brought us 30 bags of food and toiletries collected by Years 9 and 12. Other recent donations of food and money have included from:

  • AIG Croydon (Personal Insurance UK Claims Team)
  • Caridon Property & Foundation
  • Coulsdon College
  • Keston Primary School
  • Optivo Croydon
  • SECOM Kenley
  • Southern Rail train drivers based at Selhurst and Norwood depots
  • United Airlines Heathrow
  • Wallington High School for Girls
  • Woodcote High School (who, as well as 30 boxes of food, also gave us £358 from their excellent 'Spirit of Christmas' concert on 6th December - plus £60 raised from a 40p donation for each charity Christmas card the school sent out)

We are extremely grateful for each and every single donation we have received during the year, however big or small - from schools and churches, businesses and organisations, and many individuals and families (including a lot of reverse Advent calendar donations). Thank you all very much indeed - we greatly appreciate your generosity.

 

Mon 10/12/18

26 trolleyloads of goods plus £330 from our collections at Waitrose

Enormous thanks to the customers, staff and management at the two Waitrose stores in Sanderstead and Coulsdon for their outstanding response to our collections in November and December. At Coulsdon on 17th November we collected 8 trolleyloads of food and toiletries, etc, and £103 in cash, then at Sanderstead on 8th December we received 18 trolleyloads plus £227. This was on top of the donations we receive throughout the year in our collection box at Sanderstead. We are hugely grateful to everyone.

 

Sat 01/12/18

Milk, fruit juice and potatoes are needed most in December - along with Christmas treats

For the 9th month this year we passed 2,000 meals provided in a month in November - that's more than 27,000 meals this year so far and more than 130,000 in total since we started nearly 6 years ago. To keep our stocks replenished for December, traditionally our busiest month of the year, our December food list includes requests for cartons of long life whole milk and fruit juice, tins of potatoes or packets of dried potato, jars of fish paste, Christmas biscuits and chocolate treats for children. Also needed at this time are adult toothpaste, toilet rolls and tin openers. Thank you so much for your support.

 

Fri 02/11/18

Tinned meat, potatoes, honey and long life milk head November's food list

As we seek to maintain our food stocks in the busy run-up to Christmas, tins and packets of potatoes/dried potato, tinned chicken, ham & corned beef, jars of peanut butter & honey, and cartons of long life whole milk head the Food Hub's list of items needed most for our clients in November. Other non-food items required are size 6 nappies, washing up liquid and tin openers. Please click here for the full list and where donations can be taken. Thank you very much.

 

Thu 01/11/18

Churches and 30 schools lead the response to our appeal for extra donations

Two months ago we were concerned because our food stocks had never been so low and we issued an urgent appeal for extra donations to replenish our shelves. Since then we have had a magnificent Harvest-time response with large donations from churches and schools, businesses and organisations, families and individuals. We give enormous thanks for each and every donation received - as well as to our Food Hub volunteers: the Monday sorters and Tuesday shelf-fillers and the team of driver collectors/deliverers.

In total, 30 schools gave us food from their Harvest collections:

PRIMARY - Atwood Academy, Beaumont, Cumnor House Girls, Foresters, Gresham, Harris Academy Kenley, Heathfield Academy, Kenley, Keston, Laleham Lea, Margaret Roper Catholic, New Valley, Oakwood, Oasis Academy Byron, Park Hill Junior, Purley Oaks, Regina Coeli Catholic, Royal Russell Junior, South Norwood, St David's, St John's CofE, St Nicholas, St Peter's, The Hayes, Warlingham Park.

SECONDARY - The John Fisher,  Oasis Academy Coulsdon, St Giles, Wilson's, Woldingham.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

 

Thu 18/10/18

Ticket partners give presentations at the Food Hub's AGM

Four of the Food Hub's ticket partners gave well-received presentations at our AGM on Tuesday 16th October at Purley United Reformed Church: Sonia Meikle from Croydon Council's Welfare Rights Team, Claire South of the Family Resilience Service, Inez Claus from Evolve Housing + Support and Peter Hall from Croydon Refugee Day Centre. Fifty volunteers, friends and supporters attended the meeting and also heard from Dave Scott, our Client Support Volunteer/Befriender, and accounts of the Food Hub's work from Ivanka Lennon, Chair of Trustees, and Helen Harris, Chair of the Management Committee. Nick Pannell and Trevor Jones were appointed new Trustees, with Jim Beacom and John Stradling standing down. Please click here to see our 2017/2018 Annual Report.

 

Mon 01/10/18

Peanut butter, sugar, potatoes and tinned meat meals needed most in October

Huge thanks from everyone at Purley Food Hub for the superb response from local churches, schools, community organisations and families and individuals to September's urgent appeal for extra donations to address our worryingly low food stocks. We are very grateful! We still need to maintain and build up our stocks this autumn in the lead-up to Christmas - for example, our busiest ever August was followed in turn by our busiest ever September, with food for very nearly 3,000 meals provided - our fourth highest monthly total since we opened in 2013.

Our October food list includes requests for peanut butter, sugar, tinned/packet potato, tinned meat meals and tinned carrots and peas. Non food items that we especially need are children's toothbrushes, washing up liquid and unisex deodorant. Thank you again for your support.

 

Mon 17/09/18

Waitrose Sanderstead shoppers donate 12 trolleyloads of food and £124.65

Generous shoppers at Waitrose Sanderstead donated 12 trolleyloads of food, toiletries and household items in our latest collection at the store on Saturday 15th September, plus 124.65 in our collecting bottles. Every item collected will go to local families and individuals experiencing hard times, referred to us by agencies throughout Croydon. Our next supermarket collection is at Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 17th November, then it's back to Waitrose Sanderstead for our Christmas collection on Saturday 8th December (both 9am - 6pm).

 

Sat 01/09/18

URGENT APPEAL for extra donations of milk, sugar, jam and ready meat meals

After our busiest ever August with 2,300 meals provided to people in crisis - and close to 20,000 meals this year so far - our food stocks have never been as low as they are currently. So, as we move into autumn and the build-up to Christmas, we are in urgent need of extra donations of food and toiletries...

Specifically on our September food list we are asking please for long life whole milk, small bags of sugar, strawberry and raspberry jam, tinned ready meat meals, tins of red kidney beans, jars of pasta sauce and packet soup. The list also includes small packs of tea bags, tinned dessert and rice pudding, packets of sweet biscuits and small bottles of squash. Non food items especially needed are washing up liquid and non bio washing tablets/sachets.

Thank you so much - we greatly appreciate and value everyone's support.

 

Fri 03/08/18

Long life milk, sugar, fish paste and tinned meat top August's most wanted list

With over 17,500 meals provided so far this year to families and single people going through tough times, our food stocks are becoming concerningly low - therefore we are requesting extra help please to refill our shelves in August. We especially need more donations of long life whole milk, 500g bags of sugar, jars of fish and meat paste, and tinned plain meat: chicken, corned beef, ham. Also on our August food list are tins of of tuna, packs of 40 or 80 tea bags, chocolate treats for children, and sweet and savoury biscuits. Non food items particularly needed are non bio washing tablets/sachets, disposable razors, and adults' toothbrushes. Thank you very much as always.

 

Thu 21/06/18

We are so grateful for all the many donations we receive

We are extremely grateful for all the donations of food, toiletries and money that we regularly receive from local churches, schools, uniformed organisations, Rotary and WI, and businesses, as well as from many mostly anonymous families and individuals. Recent donations have included from:

  • 29th Purley Beavers
  • 1st Purley Beavers
  • Sutton BNI
  • Residents of Reynard Court, Purley
  • Churches: St Peter's, South Croydon; Woodmansterne Baptist; Croham Road Baptist, South Croydon; St John's, Old Coulsdon; St Andrew's, Coulsdon; St Antony's, Hamsey Green; and St Mary Magdalene with St Martin, Addiscombe.

Thank you everyone!

 

Mon 18/06/18

Three more highly successful supermarket collections

Our monthly collections at local supermarkets are a major source of food and toiletries, etc, for clients of the Food Hub, so big thanks to the customers, staff and management at these three stores following recent collections there:

  • Waitrose Sanderstead on 16th June - 11 trolleyloads of food, etc, plus £121.72 cash
  • Co-op Hamsey Green on 19th May - 30-plus bags plus £95.00
  • Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 21st April - 10 trolleyloads plus £109.99

Our next collection is at Waitrose Coulsdon again on Saturday 14th July, 9.00am-6.00pm.

 

Wed 18/04/18

Beavers rise to the Great Tin Opener Challenge

The 2nd Hamsey Green Beavers rose to their Great Tin Opener Challenge and brought 30 tin openers to the Food Hub on Monday 16th April, plus 15 bags of food from St Antony's Church. To raise the money for the tin openers the Beavers, aged 6-8 years, carried out a whole range of tasks, including hoovering and doing the dishes, making the beds, feeding the cats, helping change nappies - and 'sweeping up the customers' hair in my mum's hairdressing shop'! Thank you, 2nd Hamsey Green Beavers (and St Antony's).

 

Fri 06/04/18

Thank you so much everyone for your donations of food, toiletries, money...and Easter eggs

We continue to be very thankful for each and every single donation of food, toiletries and money that we receive. Recent donations have included...

Food from these churches:

  • St John the Baptist, Purley
  • St Swithun's, Purley
  • All Saints, Kenley
  • St Aidan's Church, Coulsdon
  • Coulsdon Methodist
  • St Gertrude's, South Croydon
  • St Mary's, Sanderstead
  • Montpelier, South Croydon 

Food from:

  • The John Fisher School, Purley - Challoner House are currently leading the inter-House competition for most food collected, with Bede still to come in May...

Easter eggs (and also food) from:

  • Tesco, Purley
  • Caridon Property, Croydon
  • Croydon Jobcentre Plus
  • Friends of Grange Park, Old Coulsdon
  • 2nd Coulsdon Rainbows, 14th Coulsdon Brownies & 7th Coulsdon Guides
  • 3rd Kenley Guides

Cash donations from:

  • Woodcote High School - £303.50 from their Christmas Concert in December 2017
  • Croydon Dancing Club - £250

Toiletries each month from:

  • Infohealth Ltd who run two pharmacies in Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon

On behalf of all the clients and families that we serve, we are most grateful to you - and to many others also - for your generous donations.

 

Mon 26/03/18

Waitrose customers donate 18 trolleyloads of food and toiletries

Customers at Waitrose Sanderstead donated an amazing 18 trolleyloads of food and toiletries, plus £120.64, in our latest collection at the store on Saturday 17th March. Everyone was so generous on a day of extreme weather conditions: two people bought one of everything on our shopping list and someone else donated a whole trolleyful of goods. Thank you all, including our team of collectors who braved the snow, wind and cold...and the store's staff who kindly kept them supplied with hot drinks! Our next collections are at Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 21st April, at the Co-op Hamsey Green for the first time on 19th May and then Waitrose Sanderstead again on 16th June.

 

Wed 07/03/18

Super Swimathon team go to great lengths for Food Hub...!

Our Super Six swimmers - (left to right) Winifred, Howard, Betty, Robin, Terry and James - went to great lengths for the Food Hub in the Purley Swimathon on Thursday 1st March...in fact, a record 124 lengths! They are also likely to have raised a record £1,500 in sponsorship - £900 of which will come back to the Food Hub from Purley Rotary Club who organised the annual event. Thank you Howard and team!