If you need community help to get food for yourself and your family, there are a number of options.

Make sure to look at our support for children page for more information on help with feeding your children.

Community food map

The Access to Food map is made with information gathered and shared through the partnership. This map shows the variety of community food support and what is available throughout Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, and how you can access it.

Food banks

A food bank is for anyone in crisis who does not have enough money to buy food for themselves or their family. When you use a foodbank, you will be given enough food to feed yourself and your household for at least three days.

How to get a food bank voucher

You need to have a voucher to receive a food parcel. Please do not go directly to a food bank without one. If you have used a food bank before, use your normal route to get the voucher if it is still available.

You can also request food bank vouchers from one of the following:

• Citizens Advice: select Food Voucher as the subject of your enquiry on their online form or call 03444 111 444
• children's centres in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
• your child's school, who can also support with top-up foodbank vouchers during school holidays
• BCP Council Crisis Team: call 01202 096 622 or email the Adult Social Care triage team with your name, address, contact number and date of birth, so we can get in touch and conduct welfare checks if needed

How to get your parcel if you are unable to leave home

If you have someone you can trust who can safely leave your home, you can send them to the food bank to get your food. You will need to let your referral service know who they are so that the food bank knows who is collecting for you. The person you send will need to give your food bank voucher number to the food bank.

Community fridges

A community fridge reduces food waste by sharing people's extra food with the community. The fridges are open to all. They do not require means testing.

• Feed Our Community Boscombe (Facebook)
• Townsend Community Fridge (Facebook)
• Branksome and Rossmore Community Fridges (Facebook)

Pantries and social supermarkets

Pantries and social supermarkets offer residents more food choice than a food bank. You may need to pay a small membership fee to use them, or get a referral. Check directly with the individual provider.

• The People’s Pantry at Somerford Youth and Community Centre
• Poole Waste Not Want Not (Facebook): a route on from food banks. Referral is needed from Poole Food Bank and the BCP Crisis Team
• Let's Talk Moor (Facebook): community support for Turlin Moor and Hamworthy, including a regular community food shop
• The Poole Pantry from Poole Community Exchange: you can request to become a member online

Public training video

Our Access to Food Partnership video explains how to access food help and how you can help.