About
About our foodbank
As of November 2024 the Norwood & Brixton Foodbank has changed its name to Lambeth South & Croydon Foodbank. We are still the same organisation, just with a new name.
Norwood and Brixton Foodbank opened in September 2011 with the support and encouragement of a number of local churches. We are part of the Trussell Trust network of foodbanks operating in a similar way to franchises. We began in West Norwood with a small space in St Luke’s church and quickly expanded our working area then added another distribution centre in Brixton in March 2012, followed by a space in Streatham Hill.
In 2016 we set up as a charity – Norwood & Brixton Foodbank Limited.
We serve those in our community in crisis and see people from across Lambeth but especially south Lambeth and also north Croydon, within a short walking distance of Norwood.
The project saw demand steadily grow as we sought to support those in crisis. As Covid hit we took the decision to move to a full delivery service operating out of our warehouse space in SW2. We had huge demands on our services but continued to maintain not just our food parcel support but help and advice over the phone. We also added more fresh fruit and vegs to our parcels as tinned and ambient food in the first part of the Covid pandemic was difficult to source. At the end of March 2020 we started working in partnership with Waterloo Foodbank followed quickly by Vauxhall Foodbank and referrals for all foodbanks came through a centralised system. By August 2020 Clapham Park Foodbank also joined our partnership.
As restrictions lifted we began to open Foodbank hubs offering face to face support around benefits, completing forms, debt, housing and just general help and advice. We now operate five hubs across Lambeth and Croydon where clients can pop in for chat and a cuppa and feel welcomed.
In October 2022 we were asked if we could take over Croydon Foodbank, also part of the Trussell Trust which we were able to do. Then in 2023 both Clapham Park and Vauxhall Foodbanks, also part of the Trussell Trust, were merged into Norwood and Brixton Foodbank.
We also made the decision to carry on deliveries, offering a more dignified and compassionate way to serve those in our community, as well as being present in local hubs where we can meet and serve people.
We have strong links with CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Brixton, which in 2020 expanded into new areas of work within the borough of Lambeth and we will continue our links, working with CAP, going forward. Their work includes offering debt advice, job clubs and support for those struggling to manage their money.
We are supported by an incredible team of volunteers and in 2023 we were awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, acknowledging the incredible work they do.
In 2022/2023 we fed over 27,000 people and we are incredibly thankful to all our supporters for donating food, cash or time. Without your generosity we would not be able to carry on what we do.