Financial help to buy food

Find out about how to get an emergency food payment from the Household Support fund.

Household support fund Cost of Living Support

Support from community organisations 

The South Gloucestershire directory lists local groups and organisations that can help you to access free or low-cost food. These include food banks, community fridges, community cafes and food clubs food support directory. 

 Food Support directory

Foodbanks work using a voucher referral system.  

Please contact Citizens Advice or visit one of our One Stop Shops to be referred. Our customer care officers will speak to you in confidence. If you would like to talk to us call our freephone helpline 0800 953 7778.  

Opening times: 

• 9am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday

Support with feeding your children 

Healthy Start Scheme 

Eligible families can get a Healthy Start payment card to use in some UK shops. This can then be spent on milk, fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk and free vitamins.  

Healthy Start website

Free school meals  

If you are eligible for free school meals you should apply for each child when they start school.  

Free School meals

 

School holiday activities and food programme 

We offer holiday activities and food clubs (also referred to as HAF) for children aged 5 to 16 years who live in South Gloucestershire. 

This programme aims to provide healthy food and enriching activities during the school holidays to children who are aged between 5 to 16 years old and receive benefits-related free school meals. 

School Holiday activity and food programme

Useful links

• Eat Well – Food affects your wellbeing. Having a balanced and varied diet helps you get everything your body needs to feel good and function well.
• Reduce Food Waste  –Save up to £60 a month by buying only what you need, storing food so it lasts longer, using up leftovers and reducing what you throw away.
• Support Local –Buying local produce doesn’t have to cost more especially if you shop smarter and use everything you purchase. Supporting independent, local traders like greengrocers and butchers helps your High Street thrive, puts money back into your community and reduces food mileage.
• The South Gloucestershire Food Partnership is a local partnership bringing together organisations involved in food in the local area to help strengthen the local food system, this includes farmers and growers, food processors, community food organisations and food banks, caterers, allotment holders, orchard owners, town and parish councils and others.