News
20 Sep 19
Christmas is Coming
Demand for our food is continually rising. Over the past year it’s risen by 23 per cent. That amounts to 137 tonnes. And it’s made possible by generous donations from people and businesses, large and small. Yet demand is still exceeding supply – particularly at this time of year. That’s before we factor in all […]
13 Sep 19
Our own kitchen garden
First the salad leaves. Then the potatoes, beans and courgettes. Lovely fresh veg is now becoming a regular addition to meals served (on Tuesday and Wednesday) at our centre in Benwell Lane (the Lillia). Barbara, a key volunteer and an inspiration behind developing and fund raising for the project, says: “There’s always a lot to […]
7 Sep 19
Pathways Out of Hunger
The core purpose of the food bank is to help people overcome a temporary crisis when they are unable to afford food and they’re missing out on regular meals. So: our primary role is to provide vulnerable people with food – and we’re dependent on donations to sustain these services in our community. But our […]
22 Aug 19
NUFC forward visits Newcastle West End Food Bank
Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin has visited Newcastle West End Food Bank after striking up a conversation with the charity’s staff on Twitter. After building a rapport with organisers on the social media platform following his move to Tyneside earlier this month, the 22-year-old pledged to visit the food bank to show his support. On Wednesday […]
21 Aug 19
Going The Extra Mile
While our supporters go to great lengths to help the West End Food Bank, Mark Brown has gone the extra mile – 21 miles to be precise. That’s the distance the 31 year-old has just swam to join an elite group who’ve made the crossing from Catalina island off the Californian coast to Los Angeles. In […]
15 Aug 19
Help into autumn
It’s been a busy summer at the food bank – hungry people, and families, needing help, and children on holiday. Naturally, we couldn’t operate without generous donations from individuals, organisations and businesses. Thanks to them, food stocks in our warehouse are meeting demand, for which many thanks to our supporters. But, naturally, we have to be […]
5 Aug 19
Graduate’s foodbank app recognised with entrepreneurship award
A Newcastle University graduate has won an award for his social enterprise project helping connect foodbanks with the communities they support. Masitano Sichone received the Duke of York Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Spareable– an app that lets community foodbanks send out notifications when essential items are low in numbers, helping them optimise […]
16 Jul 19
We need your help!
Summer means holidays for some – yet demand for food among those not so lucky rises, with children at home and more mouths to feed. That puts more pressure on Newcastle West End Food Bank, one of the busiest in the country. Here’s why. Donations fall in the summer at a time when more vulnerable people, […]
26 Jun 19
Foodbank grows own produce for use in meals
Alan Wear and his team from Nature’s Landscapes at Newcastle City Council have helped us to transform our Benwell Lilia Foodbank Garden. We’ve put in wheelchair friendly beds, improved access, and planted vegetables, fruit and flowers to use in our meals and to give to our clients. We’re hoping our clients, volunteers and supporters will […]
17 May 19
Northumbria students help celebrate Food Bank volunteers
Our Food Bank is the largest in the UK, feeding over 40,000 each year but relying entirely on donations and the support of volunteers. To show our gratitude to the people at the very core of our organisation we held a special event at the Marriott Hotel MetroCentre, expertly organised by Tourism and Events Management […]