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Food

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

Updated: 11th October 2023

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.

Find out more about our Never Hungry Again campaign to end local food poverty.

Help and advice

Food banks and parcel services

Central Halifax

Ebenezer Food Bank (Happy Days UK)

  • This service ended on 19th August 2023.

Please see Happy Days Community Supermarket: Affordable Food.

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:

The Salvation Army (Brighouse)

Food parcel collection service.

Open:

  • Wednesdays from 9am to 12noon.

Contact:

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

North Halifax

New Beginnings Community Church

North Halifax Food Bank has closed.

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

Upper Valley

Calder Food Support

Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Luddenden Foot.

Food bags free to those who need them.

Open:

  • Tuesday 1.30pm to 6pm at Kershaw Community Centre.
  • Wednesday 10am to 12noon at Valley Road Surgery, Hebden Bridge. HX7 7BZ.
  • Saturday 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:

Calder and Ryburn

Elland Food Bank

Open:

  • Saturdays from 10.15am to 11.45am.

Contact:

Client - related support

Please note: Other organisations also support their clients with food. This includes Mothershare, Lighthouse, Smart Move and Noah's Ark.

Please make contact directly for further information.

Affordable food

Happy Days Community Supermarket Halifax

A social supermarket that opened 23rd August 2023.

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. They will let you know what ID you need to bring and will help you with your membership application.

  • Members can visit the supermarket once a week.
  • Pay £6 per visit and can choose up to 15 items.
  • Toiletries will be available once a month and cost £2 for up to four items.

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

  • £1 credit every time you shops.

Open: Wednesday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

Closed: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Contact

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

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. Member benefits:

  • £8 per week 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:

Community meals

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

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

Mytholmroyd
  • Open: Mondays from 5pm to 7pm.
  • Address: Good Shepherd Church, Mytholmroyd. HX7 5EA.
Luddenden Foot
  • Open: Tuesdays from 1.30pm to 6pm.
  • Address:Kershaw Community Centre, Kershaw Drive. HX2 6PD.
  • Facebook: Calder Food Support.
  • Donate: Via Local Giving page.

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).

The Gathering Place - The Banqueting Table

Café open for hot food.

  • Open: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.
  • Address: The Gathering Place, 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.)

St Augustine's Centre

The welcome café, open for hot meal take-aways.

  • Open: Mondays and Thursdays at 12.30pm.
  • Address: Hanson Lane, Halifax. HX1 5PG.
  • Donate: Via Give.net or Facebook.

The Jilani Kitchen at the Halifax Community Fridge

Starting 10th November, a warm meal for all neighbours and those in need.

  • Open: Thursdays, 30 minutes before sunset from 10th November 2022.
  • Address: Jamia Madni Mosque, 117 - 131 Gibbet Street, Halifax. HX1 5LE.
  • Facebook: Halifax Community Fridge.

The Outback Take Away Lunch Club

Free hot food for local people in need.

  • Open: Tuesdays from 12 noon to 2pm.
  • Address: The Outback Kitchen, Lightowler Road, Halifax. HX1 5NB.

Children and families

Support for families

These are taking referrals and can offer support:

Lighthouse

Mothershare

Health Start Vouchers (NHS)

The scheme is for those:

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

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.

Please note: From March 2022, a prepaid card replaces the paper voucher and you must apply online.

  • Letters will be sent to those who get vouchers to urge them to apply online when the new service starts.
  • If you get paper vouchers now, they will stop when you apply online.
  • You can still use the vouchers until their expiry date. (This is printed on the vouchers.)

For more details and resources, visit: What is Healthy Start (NHS).

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 most appropriate person for your care needs.

Health 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

In 2021, Locala and Public Health Early Years' Service set up a way for families to get emergency formula.

Where to get formula:

  • The Gathering Place.
  • Brighouse Central Food Bank.
  • Mothershare.

These will give those in need enough 1st stage formula to support them until they get their Healthy Start vouchers. They will then refer onto the Health Visiting Service.

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 regular via an 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 delivering food support are doing all they can to make sure that Calderdale's most vulnerable have access to food.

Food donations

Supply is a challenge following on from the COVID-19 and due to supply chain issues. 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 give details to the Food Poverty Forum, email: 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.

Donating Time

For more about how you can help and get involved with volunteering in Calderdale, visit: VSI Alliance - Getting Started.

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