Feeding the Island

The Isle of Wight Foodbank has been feeding and supporting the community for the last fifteen years, as Sara Whatley found out 

Fifteen years ago two local people, Hannah King and Charlie Hancock identified a need in their local community and set up a foodbank. Their original vision was to support people for three to five years, but the need increased from feeding a few in Cowes to many across the whole Island. 

Now, fifteen years later, the Isle of Wight Foodbank has grown to five sites across the Island, eight employees and 130 volunteers. All together they have processed over 31,000 food vouchers, which equates to feeding 74,884 people on the Island. 

“It’s a shame that we are needed, we shouldn’t really be here,” said Kay Lewis, Manager. But equally, she is aware of how fortunate they are to still be here, both supporting the local community and being supported by them as well. “We have very little government funding, it’s all independent funding or donations that make it work. We are grateful.” 

They have teamed up with Trussell (previously The Trussell Trust), adhering to some of their rules and expectations yet they run very independently. “We are very much in support of the voucher system, because Trussell use the data to lobby the government for change, and it has made a big impact,” explained Kay. 

The voucher system is how people access food from the Foodbank, and it’s structured to be as easy as possible. “We don’t have a criteria other than if you’re hungry and in need of food – people don’t get turned away,” said Jack Cooke, PR Coordinator. 

It’s a three-step process, with step one being to find a referral agency. There are over 100 referral agencies including schools (for families with children), GPs, Barnardo’s and other charities, social housing, Citizens Advice, and Social Workers. Step two is to contact the agency for a voucher, who will assess your needs, and the last step is to visit one of the five Foodbanks on the Island and collect your allocated food. “Come to your local one, but you don’t have to,” said Kay. “People might not want to because they are concerned that they might know someone there.” 

Both Kay and Jack acknowledge that coming through the door is the hardest thing, but once you are through it is a welcoming café-style atmosphere with tables and chairs, and music playing in the background. “We are non-judgemental and we are here to listen,” said Kay, understanding that people may be feeling ashamed or judged.

“They will be invited to sit down, offered a cup of tea, a biscuit, or a slice of cake if one of the volunteers has been baking, then they will work with one of our volunteers who will go through the food allocation list with them. If there is something they really don’t like they may be able to swap it out.” 

The food allocation is three days’ worth of food that is nutritionally balanced by the NHS, despite it being tinned and dried. The volunteers understand how important it is to open up a conversation and show they are listening, so that the client can start to relax. “They might say ‘I can’t believe I’m here, this has never happened before’, almost trying to justify why they are there,” explained Kay. “Volunteers can then reassure them it can happen to anyone.” 

The list is then sent to the store cupboard where another team of volunteers will collect it all, bag it up and bring it out to the client. “We work with local supermarkets – they allow us to have collection baskets in stores where individuals can donate food. We also have food we class as ‘extras’ which has been donated but is not on our allocation list, so that might be gravy, mayonnaise, sweets, chocolate, crisps, alternative milks; they can also pick a bag of that. They are going away with a lot of things, especially if they are a big family,” said Kay. 

On top of that they offer pet food, toiletries and laundry products, and everybody gets toilet roll. “We also provide nappies and baby food,” said Kay. “We try to be quite holistic.” 

All through this process the Foodbank and agencies involved try to ensure their clients have all the support they need, so if a client returns more than two or three times they will be asked if there is any other help they need. “We’re not just about food. We work together to support people,” said Kay. “There is no pressure – people that are referred can just come in and go – as soon as their food has been sorted.” 

The volunteers who work at the Foodbank are vital to operations. “Without them we couldn’t do it. We would like to say how brilliant they are,” said Kay and Jack. For some volunteers paid work can be a challenge, but volunteering might be the perfect first step – somewhere they can grow in confidence, build routine, and reconnect with others in a positive environment.

Their journey shows how the right support, at the right time, can help someone move from crisis to confidence – and how volunteering can be a powerful bridge toward a brighter, more independent future. 

The Foodbank has two Community Wellbeing Practitioners and they work one-to-one with clients who have a higher need, such as a difficult situation at home, mental health issues, or loneliness. “We want people to know that we genuinely care,” said Kay. 

Most of the volunteers are of a more mature age, perhaps retired from their former careers, enjoying their second life and wanting to give backto their community. All the volunteers are required to fill in an application form and supply references, which means that if they move on from the Foodbank, Kay is able to supply a reference – just another way of supporting the community. 

“A couple met here and are now married,” smiled Jack, “and a couple of the van drivers are now great friends and socialise outside of work. It’s not just about food, it’s building community and bringing people together that otherwise wouldn’t have met.” 

There are many different sectors for the volunteers to choose from, including delivery drivers, warehouse workers, and gardeners who maintain the outdoor spaces at the Cowes Foodbank – comprising front garden, rear garden (with raised beds that produce fresh fruit and veg) and an internal courtyard – which contains plants, herbs and flowers. 

This time of year at the Foodbank is exceptionally busy: in December they feed between 800 and 900 people, and January can be a busy time as well. “There is a myth that it’s people on benefits. That isn’t the case,” said Kay. “We are seeing more single working people because of the cost of living crises, and also working couples.” 

Following the seasons, they try to provide picnic food in the summer, Easter Eggs at Easter, many of which are donated, and harvest sees large donations come in as well. At Christmas they do a reverse advent calendar, where people collect a different item each day and donate it to the Foodbank. 

“Everybody who comes to us in December goes home with a Christmas bag – crackers, wrapping paper, even curry sauce and rice for Boxing Day turkey curry! We occasionally get Cadbury Christmas chocolates, so we’ve got coins for the children,” said Kay. 

As a key part of the community, the Isle of Wight Foodbank works closely with Footprint Trust, Citizens Advice, Salvation Army and many other charities. “We are all serving the Island in different ways,” said Kay. And Jack concluded, “The food bank is here if you need us.” 

THREE STEP PROCESS TO USING THE ISLE OF WIGHT FOODBANK 

1 Find an agency – there are over 100 

2 Contact the agency for a voucher and support 

3 Visit one of the Foodbanks to pick up your 3 days’ worth of food 

Choose from Cowes Foodbank, Freshwater Foodbank, Ryde Foodbank, Newport Foodbank, The Bay Foodbank