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Foodbank volunteer with large bag of pasta Well organised shelves at a foodbank

What We Do

Our vision is for a UK without the need for food banks.

We support a nationwide network of food banks and together we provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, food banks in our network distributed more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels to people facing hardship, a 94% increase over the past five years. See our latest stats

How do food banks work?

Our network of more than 1,300 food bank centres in the UK provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food to people who have been referred, as well as support and advice to help people maximise their incomes and lift themselves out of poverty.

We recognise that ending hunger is about more than food. We support and encourage our food banks to provide compassionate, practical support to people in crisis to tackle the root causes that lock people into poverty and build people’s resilience so they are less likely to need a food bank in the future.

How will we end the need for food banks?

We know it takes more than food to end hunger. That’s why we launched our five-year strategic plan. We know our goal to end the need for food banks is ambitious, but by working Together for Change, we believe it is achievable.

We’re calling on the UK government to ensure Universal Credit covers essential costs such as food, travel and household bills. Find out more

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How do foodbanks work?

1

FOOD IS DONATED

Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to a food bank. Large collections often take place as part of seasonal celebrations such as harvest and Christmas, and food is also collected at supermarkets.

2

FOOD IS SORTED & STORED

Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and store it ready to be given to people who are referred to food banks in crisis. More than 40,000 people give up their time to volunteer at food banks across the UK.

3

PROFESSIONALS IDENTIFY PEOPLE IN NEED

Food banks partner with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, teachers, health visitors and social workers to identify people in crisis and give them a food bank voucher to access emergency food.

4

PEOPLE REFERRED RECEIVE FOOD

People bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers welcome people and offer them further support to help resolve the crisis they face.

How food banks work

More Than Food


We recognise that ending hunger is about more than food. We support and encourage our food banks to provide compassionate, practical support to people in crisis to tackle the root causes that lock people into poverty and build people’s resilience so they are less likely to need a food bank in the future.

Additional support

As a nation we expect no one should be left hungry or destitute – illness, disability, family breakdown or the loss of a job could happen to any of us, and we owe it to each other to make sure sufficient financial support is in place when we need it most.

It’s hard to break free from hunger if there isn’t enough money coming in to cover the rising cost of absolute essentials like food and housing. For too many people staying above water is a daily struggle. It’s completely unacceptable that anyone is forced to turn to a food bank as a result.

Emma Revie - Chief Executive of The Trussell Trust
Emma Revie,
Chief Executive