News Archive 2019
Busiest ever session at Purley Food Hub
Mon 23/12/19
Saturday morning (21 December) was the busiest ever session at the Food Hub, with food for 1,098 meals provided for people in crisis. 39 clients attended and we provided food for a total of 122 people.
Today (Monday) we delivered 150 Christmas turkey hampers to clients/families nominated by our Ticket Partner agencies through the Christmas Lunch on Jesus project, while earlier this month the agencies received presents to give to 200 needy children through Toys for Joy.
On behalf of the Trustees and Management Committee, we send enormous thanks to everyone who donated food, money and their time: our volunteers, churches, schools, businesses, Rotary, WI and uniformed organisations and many, many individuals and families throughout the local community.
Another generous Christmas collection at Waitrose Sanderstead
Wed 11/12/19
We thank shoppers and staff at Waitrose Sanderstead for contributing the equivalent of 14 large trolleyloads of food and other items plus £225.06 in our Christmas collection at the store on Friday 6th December. Thank you all for every single item and pound donated. Our first collection of 2020 is at Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 11th January, 9am – 6pm.
Caridon carry on this Christmas – and look next to Easter!
Fri 06/12/19
A large donation of toys and food was collected today from Caridon Property based in High Street, Croydon, with the toys earmarked for our Toys for Joy scheme for needy children.
Caridon are regular supporters of the Food Hub and organiser Susan Passman (centre) and her team are already taking about their next collection…of Easter eggs! Pictured are our volunteers Eddie and David receiving today’s goods.
Woodcote High present huge food collection at their Christmas concert
Thu 05/12/19
Students and their families and the staff at Woodcote High School donated a staggering total of 1,375 food and other items which they presented to Helen Harris, our Management Committee chair, at the school’s Christmas concert tonight.
Noteworthy individual contributors were Emma from 10Z with 42 items, Rhea (7D) 24 items and Imaani (12Y) 17 items. In addition, the school is donating £880 raised from the concert itself. Thank you Woodcote High!
Sainsbury’s Local promoting the Food Hub
Mon 02/12/19
During December, the Food Hub is being promoted at Sainsbury’s Local in Purley High Street through the store’s ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’ scheme – they have a collection basket for food and toys.
Each item donated is counted towards Sainsbury’s overall collection target of 1 million items nationwide.
Meanwhile, we are again running Christmas Lunch on Jesus, delivering Christmas turkey hampers to 150 clients/families nominated by our Ticket Partners, and also Toys for Joy, aiming to give two gifts each to around 200 needy children. Keston Primary School is again collecting along with local businesses. Full details from purleyfoodhub@gmail.com.
Christmas biscuits and children’s chocolate treats requested in December
Sun 01/12/19
Christmas biscuits and chocolate treats for children are among the items included on our December food list for hard-pressed clients and their families.
Donations of cartons of long life whole milk and tins of chicken, ham and corned beef are also requested, along with tinned peas and carrots, tinned dessert fruit and rice pudding and small bags of sugar. This month’s non-food items especially needed are tin openers, unisex deodorant and adults’ toothbrushes.
Donations will be gratefully received at Purley United Reformed Church and Christ Church Purley, as well as at Get Fired! and Cafe Blue in Brighton Road Purley. Thank you everyone for your support.
Busiest ever November follows busiest October…
Sat 30/11/19
Our busiest October was followed in turn by our busiest November, with 3,042 meals provided over the past month for clients and their families, including a total of 1,044 meals on the last 2 Saturdays alone.
It took us past 6,000 meals during these last 2 months…and past 160,000 meals overall since the Food Hub opened almost 7 years ago.
Waitrose Coulsdon shoppers donate 11 trolleyloads of goods plus £225
Tue 19/11/19
Big thanks to the generous customers and staff of Waitrose Coulsdon where we collected the equivalent of 11 trolleyloads of goods and £225.79 on Saturday 16 November. Our final supermarket collection of 2019 is at Waitrose Sanderstead on Friday 6 December from 9am – 6pm.
November’s food list headed by long life whole milk, tinned meat & potatoes
Fri 01/11/19
Last month was our busiest October since we started in 2013 with 3,069 meals provided to struggling clients and their families – over 1,000 meals up on October 2018. It was also our 4th busiest month over the past nearly 7 years and the busiest month outside of December and January.
As we continue the build-up to Christmas, cartons of long life whole milk once again top the list, followed by tins of corned beef, chicken and ham, packets of dried / tinned potatoes and tinned carrots. Also listed are jars of fish paste, small bags of sugar, tins of rice pudding and children’s chocolate treats. There are also 3 non-food items listed: toilet rolls, unisex deodorant and bars of soap.
We remain so grateful for the local community’s continued support.
TWENTY EIGHT schools donate food this Harvest time
Wed 30/10/19
We are so grateful once again to our local churches, schools, businesses and organisations for their amazingly generous response to this year’s annual Harvest appeal for food donations.
Our storeroom at Purley United Reformed Church is overflowing now with the deliveries we have received and collected as we start the busy build-up to Christmas. So far 28 schools have donated food this Autumn term:
Wallington High for Girls, New Valley Primary, The John Fisher, Royal Russell Junior, Little Apples Day Nursery, Wilson’s, Gresham Primary, St Nicholas, Regina Coeli Catholic Primary, The Minster Junior, Keston Primary, Atwood Primary, Oasis Academy Byron, Purley Oaks Primary, Old Palace, Woldingham, Oasis Academy Coulsdon, St Giles, St David’s, Warlingham Park, Cumnor House for Girls, Margaret Roper Catholic Primary, Oakwood, Laleham Lea, The Hayes Primary, Foresters Primary, Kenley Primary and Beaumont Primary.
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
‘I enjoy every session, ensuring each client leaves with a smile…’
Mon 07/10/19
Volunteers, supporters and friends of Purley Food Hub attended the Annual General Meeting at Christ Church Purley on Thursday 3 October. Guest speakers included Lizzie Englefield from St Mary’s Catholic High School, Jo Doherty and Mimi Khorsand from the Happy Baby Community and Nicky Powell from Croydon Refugee Day Centre, as well as Food Hub volunteers Cynthia Smith and Betty Jones. Please click here to view our 2018/2019 Annual Report (pdf).
Facts from the Report’s ‘Our Year In Numbers’ feature include: 691 clients, referred by 69 agencies in the borough, visited the Food Hub a total of 1,474 times and received food and toiletries for 3,262 people; at 3 meals a day for 3 days for each person, that’s 29,358 meals provided.
Among the volunteers explaining In Our Own Words what keeps them coming back to help, Emily writes: “I have been part of the team for over 4 years and have enjoyed every session, welcoming each client and ensuring they leave with a smile and small reassurance that their short-term food supply has been covered. I really enjoy the teamwork and positive atmosphere. No matter what the circumstances, family size or time, there is always an enthusiastic team waiting to help.”
Vegetarian meals, bottles of squash and packets of dried potatoes top October’s list
Tue 01/10/19
The 1,899 meals provided in September to hard-pressed clients and their families took us past 20,000 meals in total so far this year and to almost 155,000 since we opened in January 2013.
Tinned vegetarian meals, small bottles of squash and packets of dried potatoes head October’s list, which also includes hot chocolate requiring only water, jars of meat and fish paste, toddler microwavable meals and packets of custard requiring only water. Three non-food items on the list are: disposable razors, non bio washing powder capsules/tablets and small washing up liquid.
Thank you everyone for your donations, however big or small – every item we receive goes to someone in need.
Thank you Waitrose Sanderstead!
Mon 23/09/19
Generous shoppers at Waitrose Sanderstead donated the equivalent of 14 trolleyloads of food and other items, plus £151.13 in cash, in our latest collection at the store on Friday 20th September. Thank you very much everyone, not forgetting the Waitrose staff and management (and our own Food Hub collectors and sorters!).
Our final two supermarket collections of the year are on Saturday 16th November at Waitrose Coulsdon and Friday 6th December at Waitrose Sanderstead, both 9am – 6pm.
Can you help please to build up our food stocks again in September…?
Sun 01/09/19
August’s record-equalling 2,304 meals provided to struggling clients and their families (the same number as a year ago) took the combined June-August total to a most-ever 7,029 – 200 more than last summer.
It means that as we start on the autumn road to Christmas, our food stocks have become somewhat depleted and we would greatly appreciate your help in building up the stock levels again during September…
Once again long life whole milk tops our list of priority items needed, followed by small bags of sugar, long life fruit juice, small bottles of squash, packets of dried potatoes, packet soup, jars of pasta sauce, packets of savoury biscuits and tins of rice pudding and dessert fruit. Two non-food items we especially need are unisex shower gel and small washing up liquid.
As always, on behalf of our clients, we warmly thank you for your wonderful support.
Long life whole milk again heads our Top 10 priority items needed in August
Thu 01/08/19
The past months’s 2,538 meals provided for hard-pressed clients and their families made it the Food Hub’s busiest July since we started in 2013…as well as taking us past the landmark figure of 150,000 meals overall.
As an indication of our steadily increasing busy-ness, we passed 50,000 meals in September 2015 (32 months). 100,000 in September 2017 (24 months) and now 150,000 in July 2019 (22 months).
Long life whole milk once more heads the top 10 priority items, along with 500g packets of breakfast cereals, small jars of honey, long life fruit juice / small bottles of squash, packets of dried potatoes, small packets of savoury rice, packet soup and tinned rice pudding. Two non-food items we especially need are small washing up liquid and unisex shampoo. As always, thank you for your support.
Food Hub passes 150,000 meals milestone
Sat 27/07/19
Today we passed our latest milestone by providing the 150,000th meal to the Food Hub’s clients and their families since we opened six and a half years ago in January 2013.
To date, 2,688 clients have attended a total of 7,408 times and we have provided food for 16,681 people going through hard times. At three meals a day for three days for each person, that’s a grand total of 150,129 meals so far.
Once again, we say a huge, heartfelt thank-you to our wonderful volunteers and supporters who make the Food Hub happen, including those who serve our clients each Saturday and Wednesday, sort and date-label food donations on Mondays, refill the shelves on Tuesdays and collect donations at supermarkets…plus the many, many churches, schools, organisations, businesses and families and individuals who give us food, toiletries and money. It is one tremendous all-round community effort and we warmly thank everyone involved.
Waitrose Coulsdon shoppers show their generosity once more
Tue 16/07/19
Fourteen large trolleyloads of food and other items plus £100.44 in cash were donated by generous shoppers in our collection at Waitrose Coulsdon on 13 July – thank you very much everyone, we are most grateful.
Our next collections to the end of the year are on Friday 20 September at Waitrose Sanderstead, Saturday 16 November at Waitrose Coulsdon and Friday 6 December at Waitrose Sanderstead, all 9am – 6pm.
Needed in July: tinned meat, whole milk, fruit juice, pulses…& TIN OPENERS
Mon 01/07/19
Another 2,187 meals were provided for Purley Food Hub clients and their families in June, taking 2019’s meals total so far to just short of 14,000. To date, since the Food Hub started in January 2013, 2,657 clients have visited 7,303 times between them and we have provided food for 16,426 people in crisis. At 3 meals a day for 3 days for each person, that’s close to 148,000 meals overall.
The July food list sets out this month’s top 10 priority items: tinned plain meat (corned beef, ham, chicken), hot chocolate drink requiring only water, long life whole milk, fruit juice/small bottles of squash, tinned pulses (kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas), sweet biscuits and packets of custard requiring only water. Non-food items needed please are unisex deodorant and shampoo…and TIN OPENERS. Thank you as always.
Waitrose Sanderstead once again display great generosity
Wed 19/06/19
The equivalent of eight large trolleyloads of food and other items plus £167 in cash were donated by customers of Waitrose Sanderstead in our collection at the store on Friday 14 June.
Our collectors enjoyed good conversations with the friendly shoppers who took the opportunity to find out more about the work of the Food Hub. The day ended with a gentleman rushing over as the team were clearing up to put a £20 note in the collection bottle.
Thank you everyone for your generous support once again. Our next supermarket collection is at Waitrose Coulsdon on Saturday 13th July, 9am – 6pm.
Sainsbury’s Warlingham chooses Food Hub for 150 days of donations
Thu 06/06/19
As part of Sainsbury’s 150th anniversary celebrations, staff at the Warlingham store have kindly nominated Purley Food Hub as their chosen charity for 150 days. They will be at the collection basket several times a week to encourage shoppers to donate items and they will then deliver the items to the Food Hub each week for our volunteers to sort and put on the shelves.
So a big thank-you to the shoppers and staff at Sainsbury’s Warlingham! Pictured (left to right) are our volunteers Ros and Jean with Louise and Ryan from Sainsbury’s.
Long life milk and fruit juice, peas, carrots, tomatoes…and toilet rolls are needed most in June
Sat 01/06/19
With nearly 2,450 meals provided for hard-pressed clients and their families during this past month, it was our second busiest May since the Food Hub opened six years ago. It took the year’s total to almost 11,800 meals so far in 2019 and past 145,000 overall since 2013. Thank you everyone for your part in making this possible.
Our June food list has this month’s top 10 priority items: cartons of long life whole milk, long life milk alternatives (soya, oat, almond), long life fruit juice / bottles of squash, 500g packets of sugar, tins of peas and carrots, tinned tomatoes and packet custard requiring only water. Non-food items needed are toilet rolls, unisex deodorant and non bio washing tablets/sachets.
American university students visit the Food Hub
Thu 23/05/19
We were delighted to welcome a team of seven American university students to the Food Hub yesterday (Wednesday). The young people – from Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida – spent the morning receiving food donations from customers at Sainsbury’s Local Purley, sorting and date-stamping items and bagging chocolate treats and washing machine tablets ready to go on the shelves for clients coming to the Food Hub on Saturday.
The students came as part of their 3-week working visit to Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church, Purley, for which they raised their own funds.
So, thank you Kylee, Ethan, Pearson, Jessica, Ali, Delaney and Courtney – it was great to meet you and to have you working with us!
Thank you shoppers at the Co-op Hamsey Green
Tue 21/05/19
Generous shoppers at the Co-op Hamsey Green donated 27 bags of food and toiletries and £108.34 in cash during our collection at the store on Saturday 18 May. Thank you all – every item and every pound you kindly donated will make a real difference to people in need at this time.
Long life fruit juice and milk, breakfast cereals and tinned meat top May’s most-needed list
Wed 01/05/19
For the fourth month in a row, the number of meals provided by the Food Hub topped 2,000 again in April. That’s now more than 9,300 meals provided to struggling clients and their families in 2019 so far.
Our May food list sets out this month’s priority items required: cartons of long life fruit juice and whole milk, 500g packets of breakfast cereals, tins of chicken, ham and corned beef, packets of dried potato, tins of rice pudding and packet custard. Non-food items listed are unisex deodorant and non bio washing tablets/sachets.
The list also gives details of several places in Purley where donations can be taken. Once again we thank you for your support.
Waitrose Coulsdon shoppers donate seven trolleyloads of goods plus £211
Thu 18/04/19
Generous shoppers at Waitrose Coulsdon donated seven large trolleyloads of goods and £211 in cash in our latest collection at the store on Saturday 13 April.
We are most grateful for every donation received. Please look out for our volunteers at our next two collections at the Co-op Hamsey Green on 18 May and Waitrose Sanderstead on 15 June.
Can you help? We need more Sorters, Stackers, Packers and Refreshment Volunteers…
Sun 07/04/19
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 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 purleyfoodhub@gmail.com and we will arrange for you to come to a taster session. We look forward to hearing from you!
Breakfast cereals, sugar, savoury rice and tins of plain meat most needed in April
Mon 01/04/19
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.
15 trolleyloads of goods and £216 donated at Waitrose Sanderstead
Thu 21/03/19
We had another very successful collection at Waitrose Sanderstead on Saturday 16 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 13 April and the Co-op Hamsey Green on 18 May.
Magnificent Seven swim 106 lengths and raise £1,670
Tue 05/03/19
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 2 March.
Well done everyone, we salute you: (top pic, at 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.
Meat and fish paste and tinned vegetables and fruit head March’s most-needed list
Sat 02/03/19
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.
As always, thank you very much for your generous support.
22 bags of food are donated by generous shoppers at the Co-op Kenley
Mon 25/02/19
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 23 February. Thank you everyone – each item donated is always most gratefully received.
Our next collections are at Waitrose Sanderstead on 16 March and Waitrose Coulsdon on 13 April.
Nine priority items especially needed by the Food Hub in February
Fri 01/02/19
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.
Shoppers at Waitrose Coulsdon donate 8 trolleyloads of food and £146
Mon 21/01/19
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 19 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 23 February and Waitrose Sanderstead on 16 March.
How you can get involved in helping the Food Hub
Mon 07/01/19
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
For more details, you can phone us on 07546 635295 or email purleyfoodhub@gmail.com.
Peanut butter, honey, dried potato and tins of plain meat are our top needs in January
Tue 01/01/19
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.