Urban Unity Food Bank
London, UK
Urban Unity Food Bank is a grassroots initiative run by a passionate team of local volunteers at The Old Surgery Community Centre. We are committed to supporting individuals and families in need by providing free food, seven days a week.
We serve a diverse range of people in our local community. Including families with children, people on low incomes, those with special needs, and vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women, disabled residents, chemotherapy patients, and the housebound. We also deliver to those experiencing homelessness, local night shelters, after-school clubs, and other community centres. This includes retired Veterans of military service shelter, women's salvation army shelter, men's shelter, and a local soup kitchen for the homeless. We also have previous service users of our foodbank volunteering with us and giving back to the community, such as previously homeless people.
As demand continues to grow, we are now facing challenges in meeting the needs of everyone who comes to us. More people are turning to us for help than we currently have food available, but we are determined to continue serving and expanding our reach.
Who We Support and How
We welcome people from all backgrounds, with no need for referrals, vouchers, or paperwork. Our volunteers, many of whom live locally, work directly with the community. Identifying and supporting those who need help. We offer compassionate, informal support and respect each person’s privacy. Whether someone needs regular food support, has dietary restrictions, or simply needs someone to talk to, we’re here to help.
At its core, our food bank is about more than food, it’s about dignity, kindness, and community. We aim to bring people together, offer hope, and put a smile on someone’s face during a difficult time.
More Than a Food Bank
While our main focus is on rescuing surplus food and redistributing it, we also provide a range of other services to support people more holistically:
Listening & Support Service – A safe, friendly space where volunteers offer a listening ear and emotional support.
Holistic / Whole-Person Support – We assist people with wider challenges such as debt, housing issues, domestic abuse, mental health concerns, and isolation, by offering guidance or signposting to other support services.
Everything We Do Is Free
All of our services from food parcels to emotional support are completely free. We believe everyone should have access to food and care without barriers.
How We Source Food
We currently collect surplus food from local businesses through our partnership with Neighbourly. In addition, our volunteers carry out extra one-off collections whenever possible such as canteens in Canary Wharf's corporate banks.
We are always open to building new partnerships with local businesses, suppliers, and organisations who share our mission and want to help reduce food waste while supporting those in need.
What we've received
Meals30,996
Non-food (tonnes)0.38
Money£500
COME OUT OF HIDING: THE LIGHTHOUSE NETWORK CIC
London, UK
Come Out of Hiding: The Lighthouse Network CIC (COOH) is a Christian, BME-led, community-rooted social enterprise dedicated to nurturing, equipping, and empowering whole and healthy young people, families, and underserved communities. Through our faith-inspired, holistic, and family-first “Lighthouse Approach,” we provide mental, emotional, spiritual, and practical support that transforms lives from the inside out. Founded in 2015 and registered as a Community Interest Company in 2018, we have built a growing, trusted presence in our community.
Our work is delivered through two core strands: Family Matters and The Lighthouse Academy which together form a bridge between support, leadership development, and legacy-building. As we embark on our 10-year journey in 2025, we are in a critical growth phase, aiming to build capacity for long-term sustainability and legacy. Our mission is for every young person, family, and community to experience holistic wholeness and wellbeing: spirit, soul and body.
The UK is facing overlapping crises impacting its young people and families:
1. Escalating Youth Mental Health Crisis: Around 1 in 5 young people (8-25) have a diagnosable mental health disorder, yet only 40% access effective treatment, leaving a significant gap in support, particularly in low-income communities.
2. Profound Social Isolation: 1.9 million Gen Z youth (16-24) report chronic loneliness, a higher rate than any other demographic. This is exacerbated by the loss of vital community spaces.
3. Gaps in Community Support Infrastructure: Since 2012, 53% of local authority-run youth centres have closed, removing crucial hubs for peer interaction and safe spaces.
4. Compounding Socioeconomic Challenges: Food insecurity affects 15% of UK households, with 60% of food-insecure homes reducing fruit purchases. Youth homelessness in London has seen a 92% increase since 2016, with 20,200 cases reported in 2023 alone, driven by family breakdowns and lack of housing options.
These systemic issues create a critical need for holistic, community-driven interventions that address immediate needs while fostering long-term resilience and wellbeing.
Our Solution: The Lighthouse Approach
At COOH, we provide faith-inspired, holistic-based support with a family-first approach. We believe transformation begins in homes, serving the whole household, not just the child. Our programmes address mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing.
Our work is delivered through two key arms:
1. Family Matters: Focused on rebuilding families and communities through: Let’s Get Fed Community Fridge and Mayor’s Fund for London Holiday Food Programme, Let's Get Messy Creative Mental Health & Wellbeing Sessions, Let’s Get Moving Physical Activity Sessions, Let’s Level Up Career Leadership & Employability Sessions, Annual Bank Holiday Undivided Family Community Summer Festival
2. The Lighthouse Leadership Academy (TLC): Raising Whole Leaders of Tomorrow
What we've received
Meals49,922
Non-food (tonnes)0.95
Volunteering (hrs)Volunteering (hours)4
Money£400
Glory Days Community Group
London, UK
To relieve people in South London who are in need, by reason of their age. Ill health, disability, financial hardship or social circumstances by the offering of Pastoral care, counselling and support, addressing issues of loneliness and to promote social inclusion for the public benefit. As a result of one or more of of the following factors. Unemployment, financial hardship, old age or youth, Ill-health (physical or mental.
1) Rehoboth ( NTCG ) Glory Days Community Group. 159 Perry Rise London SE23 2QU.
2) Filling out questionnaires, asking if they are on benefits, church referrals
3) Allotment project, advise for anyone in the community, employment rights, advocacy, guidance
4) No charge for services
5) Yes, Fareshare, Lewisham Local.
6) Yes, Positive ageing
7) Yes we will email reference
Please find an updated statement as requested.
Glory Days Community Group provides information, guidance, advice and support to all members within our community. We are very keen on intergeneration work which encourages the speedy spirit of youth coupled with the knowledge of an elder. Our aims are to relieve people in South London who are in need by reasoning of circumstances, ill health, disability, financial hardship, status and gender. We offer pastoral support and care and can direct you for legal advice. We address issues of loneliness, education, and learning needs. We support social inclusion to build and develop our community. We aim to use culture, recreational activities and an allotment space as tools of integration.
What we've received
Meals99,619
Non-food (tonnes)0.46
Volunteering (hrs)Volunteering (hours)263