Less than two years ago a full service foodbank opened on Bloemfontein Road in the White City neighbourhood of Shepherds Bush, W12. Aptly named “The Hub,” it’s far from a traditional foodbank; the team offer advice, signposting and support services to locals who require guidance and extra assistance. H&F Foodbank, the Trussell Trust and Hammersmith & Fulham Council banded together to develop this unique approach.CEO of H&F Foodbank Daphne Aikens says, “What sets us apart is we aren’t just a food project – we take a holistic approach to poverty. When we started seven and a half years ago it was all about getting food to people in crisis, which is still the most important part of what we do, but as the years went by we realised our clients weren’t just going hungry… there were underlying causes of their need to visit the foodbank. We offer debt and legal advice, cooking courses, a school holiday club, gifts for families in crisis at Christmas… the list goes on.”The dedicated team of around 60 committed volunteers help make the H&F Foodbank stand apart. “Our volunteers see each individual that comes in as unique – we get to know them and their circumstances. Last week, a family came in with a tiny baby. They had no cot so we used our contacts and sourced a brand new cot for them. As a small charity with long serving volunteers, we are able to go the extra mile. We had a magician and face painter donate their time to help make this year’s fully catered family Christmas lunch even more special.”Horton and Garton are proud to support the H&F Foodbank. John Horton says of the team, “Daphne and her team do salient and extraordinary work. It’s an unfortunate fact that poverty and hunger are present in our communities.” Daphne adds, “Hunger is a very real issue that is more local than you might realise… your neighbour could be affected. Please donate what you can, when you can, year round – we have collection points in supermarkets, libraries and the town hall or you can make a donation directly via our website.Always required: Long life juice and milk
Tinned meat
Tinned vegetables
Tinned fruit
Tinned rice pudding
Tinned sponge pudding