We are enormously grateful for the thousands of donations received from kind-hearted supporters in December – community groups, organisations and businesses and LOTS of families and individuals – many donating for the first time. Thank you all!

Yet a run of increasingly busy Wednesday and Saturday sessions left us severely short of a number of key, staple items. And then at our last session before Christmas on Saturday 20th December – when we provided food for nearly 100 people – we completely ran out of some of them.

So these shortages are reflected in our ‘most wanted’ list for January, headed by tinned vegetarian meals for a growing number of non-meat eating clients and their families. Examples are the Princes tinned plant based range, including lentil & mushroom bolognese, vegetable green Thai curry, chunky vegetable curry and Mexican mixed bean chilli; Tesco and Morrisons offer similar tinned ranges. Any tinned pulses are also very acceptable.

Jars of meat paste & fish paste and peanut butter are also on January’s list along with cartons of long life whole milk and jars of pasta sauce.

We need too, please, tinned dessert fruit, packet custard requiring only hot water, and desserts for children such as Angel Delight and jellies. Non-food items specially needed are bars of soap and washing powder pods/capsules.

Click here to view the list in full. To have it sent with our monthly newsletter directly to your inbox at the beginning of each month, please email steve.purleyfoodhub@gmail.com.

Donations can be brought to us at Purley United Reformed Church, next to Purley Hospital, between 9.00am – 12.00midday any Monday, Wednesday or Saturday morning. Or if it’s more convenient, you can take them to any of our in-store and roadside collection points listed here.

In case of real difficulty, we may be able to collect your donations – please email purleyfoodhub@gmail.com or text 07546 635295.

Your donations also enable us to support the two local Food Stops – at Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church, Purley, and St Francis Church, Monks Hill, Selsdon – where many of our clients move on to for further help after receiving our emergency food parcels.

Since we opened in 2013, our supporters’ generous donations have helped us to provide food for more than 46,000 people – equivalent to 415,000 meals.

Again, we thank you all for every tin, jar, packet, bottle and pound – each one goes to support someone locally who is going through a time of hardship.