Berwick Community Larder
Opening in late April
It was brought to our attention that a number of Residents were travelling further afield to use other Larders in the area. So we decided that it was time to offer the service in Berwick upon Tweed. This is even more important in the current climate with the fuel price increases and cost of living.
So we are currently in the process of remodelling our Sharing Corner that is currently set up in our reception area. This is being developed into a Community Larder and will be held in a different part of our building. The service will continue to be open to all but will run slightly differently. Volunteers will there to help you, they will take a few basic details (house number, Postcode and number of adults and children in the household) and then you will give a suggested donation and then you will be able to choose a number of items from stock available. Other larders operate a similar model.
We receive a small amount stock from a variety of suppliers – Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco. These collections are limited and many are only 1 collection per week. We also supplement this with a Fareshare Delivery once per week.
We are always looking for extra donations and are keen to speak with people who can supply fresh fruit and vegetables as well as general donations that may not be suitable for a food parcel.
Cash Donations are also welcomed, which can enable us to stock the larder with supplies if we run out.
Berwick Food Bank
Berwick Food Bank is available to any household who may be in crisis or have financial restrictions. The service is predominantly made up from a number of volunteers who give up their time to make the service sustainable, but our staff also use their time to assist and provide the service and extra support to those households who need it.
If you require assistance from the Food Bank, please contact us via telephone in the first instance, referrals can be made 5 days a week, collections are on an appointment basis. We will complete a short form with you to gather some information on your situation and how many people are in your household. Help and support will be offered depending on this situation, our aim is to help you through the crisis you are facing, this may be through conversations with our experienced staff who can look at ways to help and support through by conducting checks on benefits, looking at your finances with you, as well as signposting to other organisations that will be able to assist with more complex needs.
All contact is Private and Confidential.
| Food Bank Service | Referral Times (via telephone) | Collection Times |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10.00am - 2.00pm | by appointment only |
| Tuesday | 10.00am - 2.00pm | by appointment only |
| Wednesday | 10.00am - 2.00pm | by appointment only |
| Thursday | 10.00am - 2.00pm | by appointment only |
| Friday | 10.00am - 2.00pm | by appointment only |
Produce Donations
Donations are always welcome for the Food Bank. We are always grateful to receive non perishable food items, adult and children’s toiletries and we also try to keep a stock of cat and dog food to support those with pets at home. We can also direct you to the Local Pet Food Bank where extra support for the little or big furry friends in your family.
Donations can be made directly to us at The William Elder Building on Castlegate or in the Trolley in ASDA, Tweedmouth.
Financial Donations
If you would prefer to make a cash donation then this is also appreciated and any money donated goes towards purchasing food supplies such as bread, butter and eggs, items that are in shortage or special dietary requests that we have no stock of. Some of the donations also go towards the delivery of the support given to customers around there issues and also towards the rent of the room. If you would like to donate a sum of money, large or small then please get in touch or pop in and see us.
The extra support we offer is vital to many of our customers, it includes ensuring that every customer is in receipt of the correct benefits by doing benefits checks and checking eligibility, budgeting sessions help customers look at how and where they can make savings in their finances.
You can donate to us online via Local Giving, either a one off donation or if you prefer, you can set up a monthly donation. If you are a UK tax payer then you can also sign up for Gift Aid. We have Gift Aid forms available for those giving cash donations if you would like to fill one in, please get in touch.
Local Giving also allows people to set up fundraisers on our behalf, if you fancy raising some money for us then please have a look at this on the Local Giving platform.
Distribution
2025
| Month | Parcels Given to Individuals and Partner Organisations | Number of Adults Supported | Number of Children Supported | Month | Parcels Given to Individuals and Partner Organisations | Number of Adults Supported | Number of Children Supported |
| Jan | 31 | 39 | 15 | Jul | 25 | 34 | 18 |
| Feb | 32 | 39 | 11 | Aug | 21 | 30 | 10 |
| Mar | 35 | 50 | 14 | Sep | 19 | 24 | 9 |
| Apr | 41 | 61 | 29 | Oct | |||
| May | 24 | 30 | 24 | Nov | |||
| Jun | 29 | 37 | 16 | Dec | |||