Our food parcels
How does Southbourne Community Food Bank (SCFB) work?
As an independent food bank we mainly rely on donations of non-perishable food that are given to us by the local community: from churches, businesses and various kind individuals. When the food is received, our volunteers check the sell by dates and the condition of the tins and packets.
The food is then sorted into shopping bags, with the contents selected depending on whether they are required for a Single person, Couple or a Family. We aim to provide 3 days of food, with sufficient items so you can prepare satisfying meals.
As well as food, we usually have other items such as toiletries, cleaning products and pet food.
When you have been given a referral to SCFB and come to our premises, our volunteers will discuss your requirements. So if you have allergies or food intolerances, or limited resources for cooking, do let us know and we will exchange unsuitable items depending on what we have in stock.
What are the typical contents of a food parcel?
Subject to what we have available, which can vary according to the demand on our services, we aim to provide non-perishable food and other essentials in the following categories:
- Basics: Pasta, pasta sauce, rice, soup and tinned tomatoes
- Essential proteins: Tinned meat, tinned fish, baked beans and tinned pulses
- Vegetables: Tinned vegetables and potatoes
- Breakfast: Cereal or oats, long life milk (UHT)
- Puddings and sweet items: Custard, rice pudding, jelly, biscuits
- Drinks: Tea, coffee, fruit squash
- Toiletries: Shower gel, toothpaste, toilet rolls and sanitary products
Additional if required
- Baby items: Food (excluding formula), nappies, baby toiletries
- Pet food: Cat and dog food
Please note:
- As mentioned above, we cannot guarantee the exact contents of the food parcels we provide
- Our volunteers will treat you with respect and kindness – so please treat them the same way if we are unable to provide the specific food you want
- We are unable to give out baby formula due to safety guidelines issued by UNICEF UK. There are however many baby feeding banks across the UK – see https://babybankalliance.org/baby-bank-map/
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If you are able to bring some plastic bags with you that would be helpful
Example of the contents of a Single food parcel.
Example of the contents of a Family food parcel.
Example of the contents of a Couple food parcel.
Local food vouchers
In addition to our food parcels, and because of donations to SCFB and partnerships with local shops, we may be able to offer vouchers of varying amounts to provide fresh food from named Southbourne shops and cafes. While we try to maintain these offers over a period of time they are a significant draw on our resources and these cannot be guaranteed at any time. But if the offer is on, everyone coming in for a food parcel will be eligible and our volunteers will be pleased to provide you with the relevant voucher.
Emergency parcels
We do our best to make sure that people in our local community are not suffering from food poverty, and we hope that our referral system helps us to achieve that. However in exceptional circumstances the system breaks down or is not accessible. In those very rare cases we do have emergency parcels with basic items. Whilst they do not contain everything normally available, they can carry someone over for the next day or two. Please do come in and ask if you find yourself in this situation.