M&S Exeter

Devon and Cornwall Food Action is a Registered Charity, striving to eradicate food poverty in Plymouth, Devon, and Cornwall. The Charity is run entirely by a brilliant volunteer workforce and the Charity has been providing food provision to families in Plymouth, Devon, and Cornwall for the past 10 years struggling financially and many that are in financial poverty. During this last year, we have seen a significant rise in the number of clients that are in urgent need of our service, sadly as a result of Covid 19 Pandemic. Our aim as a Charity is to redistribute surplus food and non-food products which are collected and delivered by donors across Devon and Cornwall. The Charity has identified a number of services, community organisations and groups, and through their various means-testing schemes the products are distributed to those that have been identified as being in desperate need to feed themselves and their families. We also work closely with professionals and accept referrals from statutory agencies and our historical service provision. Our Challenges are obtaining grants for our services to enable us to help those in desperate need and financial difficulties and unable to purchase food. Join our cause and do what you can to reduce food waste. And remember, spare food is shared food!

Exeter Food Action grew out of Devon and Cornwall Food Action, and was formerly known as DCFA Exeter. In 2017 we became an independent organisation registered with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity no 1174174). We are now in our eleventh year of operation. We work in partnership with FareShare South West to supply food to their Community Food Members in Exeter, East Devon and Torbay. Our service is free and we are financed entirely by grants and donations. We employ one full time and two part-time members of staff, and have a team of over 50 volunteers. Together, as of August 2023, we were able to distribute food to over 50 food banks and community groups in Exeter and across Devon. In the first half of 2023 we managed to get just under 70,000 kgs of food onto the tables of people who need it. This exceeds the total amount of food we were able to provide in the whole of the previous year, reflecting ever-rising demand. For context, an empty Airbus A320 passenger plane weighs less at a mere 42,600 kgs. Our team of 50 volunteers collects food from suppliers, which is stored and managed in our warehouse, equipped with shelving, fridges, chillers and freezers, before being delivered or collected. We are part of a large and growing network of organisations across Devon concerned about the deep inequalities in access to nutritious food. We are part of the current planning for a sustainable food strategy for Exeter and strive to distribute as much surplus food as possible to people experiencing food poverty. Our organisation serves as a hub for enquiries, requests and networking across suppliers and recipient organisations, our sole objective being to continue to source surplus food throughout the supply chain, making it available to our recipient organisations for the benefit of people who might otherwise be unable to afford it.

Essentials bank is a non-profit organisation redistribute food and essentials to organisations, charities, schools, community groups, and individuals to support people in need and the homeless with life's essentials. Essentials Bank not just provide food but also toiletries, clothes and some specific things under request. Essentials bank provides socks, gloves, scarves, new underwares and hats. We also provide pet food (dogs, cats and other pets food under request). We have different kind of services: - Free of charge service. - Membership service with a small fee to keep our service sustainable, to cover operational costs such as: Warehouse space, freezers and chillers, Administration, vehicle maintenance and fuel. Essentials Bank was initially started on March 2020 covid time when people start losing their job and their house and they have faced difficulty to apply for universal credit and were struggling to get essentials like food, toiletries and etc. Donation Essentials Bank relies on the food donated by the public and food businesses – that’s why your food donations are absolutely vital to continue helping people in need. Our shopping priority list UHT Milk Tins of Meat Tins of Vegetables (sweet corn and peas) Tins of Soup Tins of Fruit Noodle and Pasta Cereals Jams and Spreads Coffee, Tea and Sugar Rice Pudding or Custer Tins of Tuna or mackerel Dog and Cat food We accept fresh, chilled or frozen food. We do also accept non-food items, including toiletries, and female sanitary items. we accept good quality clean clothing donation. So, If you are individual happy to drop off food or any essentials donations, please email us so we can arrange to collect. And, if you are a company, store, factory and would like to donate food or essentials please contact us. info@essentialsbank.org.uk We are volunteering our time providing the essentials for the happiness.