Using Purley Food Hub
A time of crisis can happen to anyone, at any time. Purley Food Hub exists to provide emergency help for local people in crisis who are without food.
Our clients may have lost a job, be suffering from health problems or have experienced a sudden change in their circumstances.
They may have had their benefits stopped or delayed. Whatever the reason, they are unable to buy enough food for their basic needs.
If you are in need of help, we are here to help support you and your family. We will continue to be here to help local people in crisis for as long as we are needed.
In order to receive a food parcel, you need to be referred to us by one of our approved ticket partners as we do not offer a drop-in service.
These ticket partners are agencies and professionals across Croydon borough who work closely with families and individuals in crisis, and include Jobcentres, teams and services within Croydon Council, hostels and refuges, churches, children’s centres, schools and a wide range of voluntary organisations in mental health and social care.
When the ticket partner/agency refers you to us, they will tell us how many adults and children there are in your family or household, the children’s ages, and if there are any young children needing nappies, wipes or baby/toddler food. They will also let us know if anyone has any special dietary needs, or requires female sanitary products.
During the Covid-19 crisis, the Food Hub is operating as a home delivery service, delivering the food parcels direct to the homes of clients living in our four postal districts ‐ see separate item.
If you are unsure or need more information about contacting a ticket partner, please email us at purleyfoodhub@gmail.com.
And if you are an agency working with people in crisis living in our postal districts and wish to become a ticket partner with us, please also contact us at purleyfoodhub@gmail.com
We help local people in crisis ‐ but what do we mean by ‘local’?
Purley Food Hub provides free food parcels for individuals and families in our local postal districts ‐ CR2 (South Croydon), CR5 (Coulsdon), CR8 (Purley) and CR0 4 (Waddon).
If you live outside this area, other local food banks and providers offer similar help. The Croydon Voluntary Action website has much useful information, and Croydon Covid-19 Mutual Aid have produced a map (below) of food banks/providers locally.
There are also three Food Stops in the borough which offer £15-£20 of fresh food and groceries for £3.50 a week:
Purley Food Stop, Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church, Reedham Park Avenue, Purley CR8 4BQ ‐ Fri 10am ‐ 12noon.
Click to email
Monks Hill Food Stop, St Francis Church, 146 Tedder Road, Monks Hill, CR2 8AH ‐ Fri 10am ‐ 12noon.
Click to email
Fieldway Food Stop, Family Centre, Fieldway, New Addington CR0 9BS ‐ Tue & Wed 10am ‐ 12noon.
Click to email
What is in your food parcel
We provide a balanced diet of long life food for clients to prepare meals at home. Food parcels contain enough for at least three meals a day for three days for each person in the family or household.
We try to accommodate special dietary needs, including halal and kosher. However, we do not normally provide perishable items. If we have a donation of fruit and vegetables or bakery items on delivery day we may include them in that day’s parcels, but we do not have the chillers or freezers to keep food fresh. Furthermore our licence does not allow us to store perishable food on the premises overnight.
All delivered in person to your door
Before April 2020 clients would visit the Food Hub in person to collect their items. Because of Covid we are now operating a delivery-only service to clients’ homes. This arrangement will continue for the foreseeable future.
Food parcels are delivered by our volunteers on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We will normally text clients to confirm when their delivery is expected to arrive.
