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Food

Find a range of support for people who need help to buy food.

Updated: 28th April 2025

Find out about community kitchens, food banks and what Government schemes there are for you. Also, how you can help donate food or time to help others.

For recipe ideas and resources for children/families on how to grow, cook and eat healthy, see: Food and nutrition.

Help and advice

Food banks and parcel services

Central Halifax

Halifax Community Fridge, at Jamia Madni Mosque.

A place where people or businesses can leave surplus food and others can pick it up for free.

Open: Daily from 11am to 12.30pm.

Contact:

  • Address: Jamia Madni Mosque 117 - 131 Gibbet Street, Halifax. HX1 5LE.
  • Mobile: 07790 758618.
  • Facebook: Halifax Community Fridge.

Lower Valley

Brighouse Central Food Bank

Food Parcel Collection Service.

Open:

  • Fridays from 1pm to 3pm.

Contact:

Elland and District Food Bank

Open:

  • Saturdays from 10.15am to 11.45am.

Contact:

The Salvation Army (Brighouse)

Food parcel collection service.

Open:

  • Wednesdays from 9.30am to 12 noon for referrals only. Food parcels are available once per month only.

Contact:

  • Phone: (01484) 401175.
  • Address: 33 King St, Brighouse. HD6 1NX.
  • Facebook: Brighouse Salvation Army.
  • Donate: Direct to Brighouse Salvation Army.

North Halifax

If you need support and advice, please get in touch with the Noah's Ark Centre:

Holy Nativity Church, Mixenden

For people living in the local area. Emergency food parcels and community drop-in. Warm space with hot drink, toast and a chat.

Open: Mondays from 1-4pm

Contact:

Upper Valley

Calder Food Support

Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Luddenden Foot.

Food bags free to those who need them.

Open:

  • Tuesdays from 11am to 1pm at Kershaw Community Centre.
  • Wednesdays from 10am to 12noon at Valley Road Surgery, Hebden Bridge. HX7 7BZ.
  • Thursdays from 12.30pm to 4pm at Dodnaze Community Centre.
  • Saturdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm at St. Michaels Parish Church, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge. HX7 5DU.

Contact:

Todmorden

Food Parcel Collection Service. This is for people living in the Upper Calder Valley, such as Luddendenfoot, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Walsden.

Open: Saturdays from 10am to 12 noon.

Contact:

Old Library, Cornholme

For people living in the Cornholme and Portsmouth areas.

Open: Mondays from 10am to 12 noon.

Contact:

Affordable food

Happy Days Community Supermarket Halifax

You must be a member to use the supermarket, but it is free to join.

You also need to be referred by one of Happy Days' support workers. (Based at 1 St James Road, Halifax. HX1 1YS.) They will let you know what ID you need to bring and will help you to apply for membership.

The supermarket is at the Old Salvation Army (5 St James Road, Halifax, HX1 1YP).

  • Members can visit the supermarket once a week.
  • Pay £6 per visit and can choose up to 15 items.
  • Toiletries, up to 3 items can be chosen as part of the weekly shop.

All members can open a Credit Union account, where you get:

  • £1 credit every time you shop.

Open:

  • Wednesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.
  • Fridays from 12.30pm to 2pm.

Contact

  • Address: Happy Days, 1 St James Road, Halifax. HX1 1YS.
  • Phone: (01422) 381316.
  • Facebook: Happy Days UK.
  • Website: Happy Days.

Outback Community Food Pantry

A membership based community food pantry. There is a £1 annual membership fee and members pay £4 per visit and can choose up to 10 items. Payment is cash only and membership is by household.

Please call into the Outback on Tuesdays between 1pm-4pm for more information and details about how to become a member.

Building Bridges Food Hub Brighouse

Social supermarket, which covers Brighouse (HD6) and Lightcliffe (HX3).

Building Bridges Food Hub (Charity Reg No. 1199710) is an online social supermarket in Brighouse.

  • Members pay a one off registration fee of £4.
  • Then order online once each week and pay £3 for a basket of up to 20 items.
  • Families can order two baskets per week.
  • Pay online or cash.
  • If you prefer, there is the option to use paper order forms.

Orders must made by 11pm on Thursdays. Collect on Saturdays between 11.30am and 12 noon.

Contact:

Focus4Hope Food Club

Social supermarket, which covers Brighouse and surrounding areas.

Social supermarket in partnership with FoodSavers, open fortnightly on Fridays.

Member benefits:

  • £10 per shop for 18 items.
  • Shop for yourself and pick your own food (no delivery available).
  • Register on the website for a specific time slot every Friday.

Contact:

Local grown produce

The Outback Community Kitchen and Garden 

A project of Halifax Opportunities Trust. Fresh organic produce available.

Incredible Edible Todmorden

Fruit and vegetable growing in community spaces across Todmorden.

Community meals

St. Paul's Church (Sowerby Bridge)

The Sunday Get-Together. A hot two-course home-cooked meal, warm welcome, good company and a listening ear for anyone who needs it.

Basement Project

A breakfast club with open access for those who are socially excluded or homeless.

  • Open: Wednesdays from 10am to 11.30am.
  • Address: Basement House, 10 Carlton St, Halifax. HX1 2AL.
  • Facebook: The Basement Project.
  • Donate: Via Facebook.

Brighouse Central Methodist Church

  • Open:
    • Fridays at 10.30am for a coffee and chat;
    • and 12 noon for a two course hot meal.
  • Address: Commercial Street, Brighouse. HD6 1AQ.

Calder Food Support (Luddenden Foot)

A community food group that provide hot meals and food parcels to those who need them.

  • Open: Tuesdays from 1pm to 3.30pm.
  • Address: Kershaw Community Centre, Kershaw Drive. HX2 6PD.
  • Facebook: Calder Food Support.
  • Donate: Via Local Giving page.

Valley Community Meals (Mytholmroyd)

  • Open: Mondays from 5pm to 7pm.
  • Address: Good Shepherd Church, Mytholmroyd. HX7 5EA.
  • Facebook: Valley Community Meals.

Calder Grub Hub

A community food group, providing free hot food to everyone who needs it.

  • Open: Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm.
  • Address: Hope Baptist Church, Hebden Bridge. HX7 8EW.
  • Facebook: Calder Grub Hub.
  • Donate: Via CalderGrubHub (Open Collective).

Happy Days Community Café

Open to all and free of charge.

  • Open:
    • Breakfast on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9.30am to 11am.
    • Lunch on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 2pm.
  • Address: Happy Days, 1 St James Road, Halifax. HX1 1YS.

Halifax Homeless Community Kitchen

Offers a hot meal and a food waste parcel on a donation basis. (Items will vary on a weekly basis.)

  • Open: Sundays from 1pm to 2.30pm.
  • Address: Halifax Bus Station, Halifax. HX1 1UZ. (Temporary bus stop outside Trinity Sixth Form Academy.)
  • Facebook: Halifax Homeless Community Kitchen.
  • Donate: Via Facebook.

St Augustine's Centre

The welcome café, open for hot takeaway meals.

The Jilani Kitchen at the Halifax Community Fridge

A warm meal for all neighbours and those in need.

  • Open: Wednesdays at 11am to 12.30pm.
  • Address: Jamia Madni Mosque, 117 - 131 Gibbet Street, Halifax. HX1 5LE.
  • Facebook: Halifax Community Fridge.

Focus4Hope

Two-course warm food and drinks.

  • Open: Thursdays at 12 noon to 2pm.
  • Address: Community Hub, Bethel Street car park, Brighouse, HD6 1JZ.
  • Facebook: Focus4Hope.

Children and families

These are taking referrals and can offer support:

Lighthouse

Mothershare

Healthy Start Vouchers (NHS)

This scheme is for those:

  • Who are more than 10 weeks pregnant;
  • or have at least one child under 4 years and are on a qualifying benefit and low income.

If you do get this help:

  • You will be sent a Healthy Start card (with money on it) to use in some UK shops.
  • Your benefit will be added to the card every four weeks.

The vouchers can be used to buy:

  • Plain, fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables;
  • plain cow's milk, infant formula;
  • and fresh or tinned pulses.

If you get vouchers, you can also get free vitamins for women and children.

  • These support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  • There are also vitamin drops for babies and young children, suitable from birth to 4 years old.

To apply:

If you struggle to access the Healthy Start Scheme:

  • Speak to your Health Visitor.
  • Phone Public Health Early Years' Service (PHEYS): 030 0304 5076 (Local call rate charges apply.) You will be directed to the best person for your care needs.

Healthy Start Vitamins

Those on the Healthy Start scheme can also get free vitamins, which can be picked up every eight weeks.

They have the right amount of vitamins to take as a supplement and contain:

  • Vitamins A, C and D for children aged from birth to four years;
  • and folic acid and vitamins C and D for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Note: The vitamins are vegetarian and Halal certified.

Where you can get the vitamin:

  • Elland Children's Centre, Boxhall Road, Elland. HX5 0BB.
  • Innovations Children's Centre, Cousin Lane, Ovenden, Halifax. HX2 8DQ.
  • Jubilee Children's Centre, Lightowler Road, HX1 5NB.
  • Todmorden Children's Centre, Todmorden Community College, Burnley Road, OL14 7BX.

Emergency infant formula

You will be asked some questions. If there is found to be a need, a voucher will be issued to buy first stage infant formula.

A referral will be made to the Calderdale Health Visiting Team. This is to make sure you and your family are offered further help and support.

If you are struggling to feed your baby or would like some support with breastfeeding, contact your Health Visiting Team:

  • Phone: 030 0304 5076. (This is charged as a local rate call.)
  • Between 8.30am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.

Please note: We recommend that food banks do not accept or distribute donated formula for babies.

Free School Meals

Children can get free school meals, if their parents or guardians get:

  • Universal Credit. (Your net earned income must be less than £7,400.)
  • Income Support.
  • Job Seeker's Allowance (income based).
  • Employment and Support Allowance.
  • Child Tax Credit. (With an annual income of less than £16,190.)
  • Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit.
  • Support payments under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
  • Working Tax Credit Run-on. (Paid for 4 weeks after you stop getting Working Tax Credit).

Please note: If you get Working Tax Credit, your child(ren) do not get free school meals.

Apply for Free School Meals

Healthy Holidays

This scheme offers enjoyable activities and nutritious meals to school children.

For more details, see: Healthy Holidays Calderdale.

Support for providers

Calderdale Food Poverty Forum

This was launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic and the increased need for emergency food aid.

  • It is a network of groups tackling food poverty.
  • It has open membership and welcomes all groups that offer food support.
  • It brings together food providers from charities, the voluntary and community sector and not for profit groups.

Aims:

  • Evidence needs across the district.
  • Encourage peer support and networking.
  • Give and receive feedback from strategic partnerships/boards.
  • Explore ways of working together to ease food poverty.
  • Influence policy, strategy and decision makers.

It is supported by VSI Alliance Calderdale and meets every six weeks. Other information is sent out often, via e-bulletins.

At times, it invites statutory/business partners to attend. They present on key issues and strengthen relationships for the benefit of the members.

They also link with strategic attempts to address food poverty through:

  • The Health and Well-being Board.
  • Calderdale's Anti-Poverty Steering Group.
  • Calderdale Council campaigns, such as Healthy Holidays.

They also have ties into wider national and regional networks, such as:

  • Feeding Britain.
  • The West Yorkshire Food Poverty Forum.

For more details, please email: info@vsialliance.org.uk.

Calderdale Food Network

Established in 2017 and a Bronze award member of Sustainable Food Places.

Vision

  • Working Together to establish a sustainable food system for all.

The network is open to all who want to be part of the good food movement in Calderdale.

Members want to create a healthy, sustainable and equitable food system.

There is strong cross-sector working across the region with:

  • Community groups;
  • local producers;
  • emergency food providers;
  • health;
  • education;
  • local authority;
  • climate action;
  • local business;
  • and more.

All bring experience and expertise to be able to achieve positive outcomes and tackle key issues.

Aims:

  • Make healthy and sustainable food accessible to everyone in Calderdale.
  • Tackle food poverty and inequality.
  • Tackle some ill health by making sure there is access to a healthy diet.
  • Build community food knowledge, skills, resources and projects.
  • Promote a vibrant, diverse, sustainable food economy.
  • Support healthy and sustainable catering and food procurement.
  • Reduce waste and the ecological footprint of the food system.

In September 2022, we committed to develop a Calderdale Food Strategy. We set out how we will work together to increase access to affordable, nutritious, sustainable food. The strategy will be led by Calderdale Food Network working along with Calderdale Council and the local NHS. We aim to deliver this in April 2024.

is a chance for everyone in the region to take action.

  • Sign up to make one or more changes to help.
  • It is linked closely to Calderdale Council's Climate Action Response and Vision 2024.

For more details, please email: aine.calderdalefoodnetwork@gmail.com.

Donations

Those who deliver food support are doing all they can to make sure Calderdale's most vulnerable have access to food.

Food donations

Emergency Food Providers depend on donations, as supply is challenging especially during the cost of living crisis. All donations are very gratefully received by the food banks to help top up their supplies. Please contact your local food bank to find out how you can donate and what is needed.

Small donations can be made via trollies in local supermarkets, which collect for local food banks.

For large donations from businesses, please email the Food Poverty Forum: info@vsialliance.org.uk. We will then arrange for it to be distributed. This will make sure it goes to the areas where it is needed most.

Please note: Donations of baby/infant formula cannot be accepted.

Donating funds

The food banks also need funds to buy vital supplies.

You can donate to your local food bank directly. Please see each providers' information for more details.

Donating Time

For more about how you can help and get involved as a volunteer in Calderdale, visit: CVAC.

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