Welfare - help with food
If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family there are organisations that can help. They are used by hundreds of people every week in Cumbria from all walks of life.
Many food projects make use of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, distributing it locally or turning it into hot meals.
Foodbanks can provide emergency food parcels in a crisis:
- Alston food bank
- Ambleside and District Foodbank (satellite to Windermere) - open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 1pm at the Ambleside Parish Centre. If you would like to donate but can't leave the house, you can donate by bank transfer for food to be purchased. Enquiries should be made to admin@amblesidepc.org.uk
- Appleby food bank
- Barrow food bank
- Carlisle food bank
- Cockermouth food bank
- Egremont food bank
- Kendal food bank
- Kirkby Lonsdale food bank
- Maryport food bank
- Millom food bank
- Milnthorpe food bank
- Penrith food bank
- Ulverston food bank
- Whitehaven food bank
- Wigton food bank
- Windermere food bank
- Workington food bank
If you need urgent help finding food and essential items, or if you are struggling to cope with your current situation for whatever reason, you are advised to call the county council's Support Helpline on 0800 783 1966 (Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 4.30pm).
In Whitehaven the Food Pantry Project offers access to free food and advice at St Peter's Community Hall in Woodhouse on the third Thursday of each month.