M&S Acorn Park Crawley

Collecting food and home items to share with needy families with in Horley area. Aimed at socially disadvantaged, families and individuals that need a helping hand from time to time. Waste is a terrible thing, so why not make sure where it is safe to do so that others benefit. Lets look after our community, food is a basic need for us all. As is being clean, clothing and essential items in life. So how does it all work, what has Happy Tummy been doing over the last few year to make an impact in the community? Happy Tummy is a pop-up food bank, which is right outside my front door. It is set up so that any member of the community that is in need, is able to access food, house hold goods and toiletries when needed. Running 24hrs a day all year round. Service users are identified when accessing our service - through contact via Facebook, from local church, toddler groups, neighbours, face to face contact. Donations are sometimes posted on 'feed the homeless / Meals for more' two other local charities, working together to share surplus. The space is managed with large containers which are cleaned. We also clean donated fruit, veg and tinned good before being put outside, removing any spoiled goods deemed not to meet my judged standards. Everything is checked most days and rotated. All not fit for human consumption is donated to two local farmers. We also have had a composter donated which we are able to put dead flowers in. A local community member takes some of the waste fruit, bread and veg to feed the local wild ponies. Over flow of fruit and veg that is about to spoil before service users can collect it all, is turned into jams and chutney. Donated jars are sterilised before use with finished product give free to community in need. Recently community users have been donating to 'our new Swap not needed' where items like tinned food (in date) washing product, kitchen, make-up, nearly new clothing etc placed in container, and people just take what they want but donate to Swap. Where donated we are able to provide dog and cat food, some of which went to homeless pet owners. Thanks to local supermarket we are able to provide plants, flowers and fresh herbs. Being able to provide a treat, which would not be a necessity where food and costs of living take precedence. Nice to be able to put a smile on community users. We have been able to donate to local elderly home, brightening up living spaces and their homes. Near Christmas Lidl in Horley support community donating toys, which Happy Tummy collects and gives away to families struggling to provide surprises. Some is given to Horley Lions, local church toddler group where individual needs identified. We have even given games to elderly care home. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

We have served the homeless and vulnerable of Crawley and West Sussex since 1994. Today we run a 24 bed high-support shelter, 4 move-on houses, a crisis food bank, a drop-in day centre open 365 days a year and a community outreach team. No-one locally does more to offer the accommodation, support and resettlement options needed by those who find themselves homeless. We cover far too large an area - if you were found homeless in or around Horsham, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath or Horley, as well as Crawley itself, you would be referred to us. There is no other residential homeless shelter for about a 25 mile radius. We are a medium sized UK registered charity - big enough to cope but small enough to acre on a local level. We receive some statutory funding, but rely on the generosity of companies, Trusts, individuals, schools, places of worship and community groups to keep doing our vital work 24/7, 365 days a year.

The Easter Team is a small Christian charity based in Crawley, West Sussex. We help local families, couples and individuals who are in crisis to feel accepted, loved, cared for and valued by providing food parcels, buying utility top ups and giving other small gifts such as toiletries and household items. We help people regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. We rely on donations of food and money to sustain this valuable work and are grateful for the support of organisations such as Neighbourly.