When someone needs emergency food, there is often much more happening behind the scenes. Discover how our partnership with Hillingdon Foodbank is combining practical support with specialist advice to help local people tackle the wider issues behind financial hardship and move towards greater stability.
Every week, Hillingdon Foodbank supports approximately 80–100 families, including larger households of up to eight people. As the cost of living continues to put pressure on local families, demand for food and essential household items remains high.
But food insecurity is often a sign of much wider difficulties.
Through our partnership, Citizens Advice Hillingdon provides specialist advice directly within Hillingdon Foodbank, led by Vivian. This means that when someone comes for emergency food, they can also get help with the issues contributing to their financial hardship – including benefits, debt, housing, employment and other financial pressures.
The difference this approach can make is significant. During 2025–26, the embedded advice service supported residents with 1,699 advice issues, managing more than £542,000 of client debt and securing or identifying £284,438 in financial outcomes.
One recent client came to the service after ill health forced him to stop working and left him struggling financially and needing urgent food support. Alongside immediate crisis help, our adviser supported him with benefits, debt and housing issues. The intervention resulted in additional benefit entitlement and backdated payments, while longer-term debt and housing issues continue to be addressed.
It demonstrates why this partnership is about more than providing food: it is about helping people address the underlying problems that brought them into crisis and supporting them towards greater stability.
The Foodbank Needs Your Support
Alongside food parcels, Hillingdon Foodbank provides back-to-school bags, warm clothing, hygiene and personal care products, and household cleaning essentials.
Current urgently needed donations include sugar, long-life milk, tinned vegetables and potatoes, juice, noodles, spreads, tinned meat, soup, tinned tomatoes, fruit, puddings, rice, cereal and treats.
Pasta, lentils and pulses, tinned spaghetti, biscuits, sauces, toiletries and toilet roll are also very welcome.
Individuals, businesses and organisations can all get involved – through donations, volunteering, workplace initiatives or other community challenges and partnerships.
The Foodbank also provides volunteering and work-experience opportunities, helping people build confidence, develop skills, make connections and reduce social isolation.
Hillingdon Foodbank
T:01895 272 885
Share this post: