ALDI ORPINGTON - FARNBOROUGH WAY (opening 15th October 2026)

Open Kitchen is a foodbank set up by Christ Church Orpington in May 2020 in the wake of the pandemic. We collect surplus food from supermarkets and other food outlets, and make it freely available for our local community to collect - without vouchers. Currently we collect from about 25 suppliers and support approximately 100 families each week. Open Kitchen is run by a team of 30 volunteers who hate to see food waste and who want to support local families in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to join the team so that we can reach more in the community and save more food from being thrown away.

We believe in reducing food waste, relieving food poverty and building local community. We offer fresh food and groceries to local families free of charge, encouraging autonomy by allowing them to select the items themselves and suggesting recipes or uses for unusual food types . We believe that many households are "just about managing" with budgets stretched and fresh food becoming a luxury. The perceived stigma of receiving food support is mitigated by our drive to work with partners in food retailing, finding good homes for food that would otherwise be disposed of. We encourage our "clients" that they are helping the environment as well as themselves! We aim to make fridge sessions fun and positive for all who attend our twice weekly sessions. The Community Fridge is run totally by volunteers. We have a big emphasis on building community by making time to listen to families and signposting them to sources of help. We have a team of volunteers with strong community connections, and we look to build trusting relationships with each family. Since 2020 we have been able to link fridge families to our local community cafe,Trussell Trust foodbanks, job club, life skills club, visiting energy consultants or debt advice counsellors as well as signpost to other agencies that can support househoilds in need.

The TFA is at the heart of the school community, bringing parents, carers and teachers together to fundraise for the school whilst having fun at the same time. The TFA raises funds for projects that are not covered by the funding the school receives from government sources. These include regular school events and one-off projects, and all are designed to improve the school for the benefit of all children.