About Us

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and registered as a charity by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number: 1203329).

Our aim is to combat food poverty by opening a food bank that provides free, nutritionally balanced, familiar, and culturally appropriate emergency ethnic food parcels for those in financial hardships; and subsequently signposting to relevant information and advisory services.

Westbourne Community Centre in Bedford has kindly agreed for us to use their premises for storage of the donated food items.

Bedford is a multi-ethnic town with a BAME population of 35.87%, as recorded by the 2021 Census. The Runnymede Trust reports that 46% of children from black and ethnic minority families are growing up in poverty. Food Foundation has stated that ethnic minority families are twice as likely to be suffering from food insecurity (smaller meals or skipping meals due to unaffordability), with 1 in 5 BAME households currently food insecure.

Use of food banks is increasing year by year. Further increase in cost of living is pushing households into poverty and food insecurity and particularly hitting hard – the lower working class and those on benefits.

Access to existing food banks by some ethnic groups is poor due to lack of easy access, lack of awareness, sense of shame, association of food banks with faith groups, and some ethnic groups being unintentionally excluded due to inability to cater to ethnic and cultural diets and due to predominance of unfamiliar/non-ethnic food.

The main aim of ‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is to help in eradicating food poverty in the Bedford area. This involves providing free, nutritionally balanced, and culturally appropriate food to people in hardship or distress who are referred by a network of partner agencies.

In addition to providing food assistance, ‘Ethnic Food Bank’ also aims to support people in overcoming the problems that brought them to the food bank. This can include providing information and signposting to local advice and information services.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is run entirely for the benefit of people in and around Bedford who are in need of emergency food. The food bank will focus on providing assistance with ethnically and culturally appropriate food to ethnic minorities who are experiencing financial hardship or distress.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ will avoid duplication of services that are provided by other food banks (toiletries/nappies, etc.) currently.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is a non-profit charity and does not seek to make profits from its activities. All of the food and other resources provided to the charity are used to support those in need.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is not affiliated with or exclusive to any particular faith group. The food bank will be open to different ethnicities primarily providing food familiar to ethnic minorities.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is committed to provide support and assistance in a compassionate and understanding manner.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and registered as a charity by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number: 1203329).

The Charities Act 2011 creates the basic legal framework for the CIO. This framework is completed by the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012 (‘General Regulations’) and the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolution) Regulations 2012 (‘Dissolution Regulations’).

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales; and will produce and submit accounts under charity law.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ is a ‘not for profit’ charity and will operate in a way that benefits the community.

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ will seek recognition as a charity by HMRC to be approved for charitable status.

Further details coming soon

‘Ethnic Food Bank’ provides free, nutritionally balanced, and culturally appropriate food to people in hardship or distress who are referred by a network of partner agencies.

In addition to providing food assistance, ‘Ethnic Food Bank’ also provides signposting information to local advice and information services. This can help users of the service to access additional support and resources to address the problems that led them to seek assistance from ‘Ethnic Food Bank’ in the first place.

Referrals will be accepted from

  • Other food banks
  • Schools
  • Health and Social services including local GPs, community health and social workers
  • Churches/Gurdwara/Mosques/Temples
  • Community Groups and Organisations in Bedford
  • Carers in Bedfordshire
  • Community nurses
  • Citizens Advice
  • Bedford Borough Council
  • BPHA

An online system of referral and voucher creation will be preferred but paper voucher forms will be made also be available to referring agencies.

Non-perishable food donations are collected at various locations. Money from the donations received is used to buy necessary food items.

Volunteers transport the donations to a warehouse, where they are sorted.

Partnering agencies such as other food banks, schools, local GPs, social workers, Mosques/churches/gurdwara/temples, Queens Park community organisation/QPSO Intervention officer, Bedford carers, community nurses, Citizens Advice Bureau refer those who would benefit to the food bank and provide vouchers to individuals in need of food assistance.

These vouchers can be exchanged for ethnically appropriate food at our distribution centre.

To ensure that the food bank helps as many people as possible, the food distribution is restricted to the following with some flexibility depending on individual circumstances

  • Supply of food is only for families in emergency and crisis
  • Supply of maximum of one weeks’ food per visit
  • One access per family per month

A basic conversation/assessment will be necessary with people accessing the service to establish the need and amount of food to be provided.

The food bank will track demand and usage patterns to help with future planning and resource allocation. The food bank will seek to provide focussed additional signposting or advisory support to individuals identified with recurring problems.