Supporting Our Community: The Work of Wimbledon Foodbank
The Wimbledon Community Association Board of Trustees recently had the pleasure of meeting members of the Wimbledon Foodbank team to learn first-hand about the important work they do in the community.
Across Wimbledon and the surrounding areas, many individuals and families face moments of real hardship – unexpected job loss, rising living costs, illness, or delays in receiving support. In these times, access to something as fundamental as food can become uncertain. This is where the vital work of Wimbledon Foodbank, together with Trussell, makes a meaningful and immediate difference.
A Local Response to Crisis
Wimbledon Foodbank exists to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry in times of crisis. Its mission statement is: ‘Ending hunger together’. The Wimbledon Foodbank is a registered charity run in partnership with local churches, facilitated by Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance. Operated by local volunteers and supported by donations, the foodbank works with local agencies* and provides emergency food parcels to people who have been referred.
*These agencies include Citizens Advice, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.
The Wimbledon Foodbank is not a drop-in service; it is a referral service intended to deal with an immediate crisis by providing emergency food parcels, meals, toiletries and other essential items. The foodbank works using a voucher referral system and operates a 3-step process to help community members in crisis to access the support they need (full details on the website shown at the end of this page):
- Get in touch with the foodbank by email or phone, enabling the situation to be discussed and contact made with a relevant local agency.
- Arrange a visit to the referral agency where the situation is discussed and a foodbank voucher supplied where appropriate.
- Take the foodbank voucher to the nearest foodbank centre, using the list of local centres and opening times shown on the website. A trained volunteer provides a warm drink and seeks to understand the situation. Dietary needs are discussed, and the foodbank voucher is exchanged for a parcel of three days of emergency food.
Everyone who comes to the foodbank for emergency food needs to have a valid foodbank voucher. The foodbank offers reassurance, providing non-judgemental support at the point of crisis. Each food parcel is carefully prepared to provide nutritionally balanced meals for several days.
Working with Trussell: A National Network of Support
Wimbledon Foodbank is part of the Trussell network, a UK-wide charity supporting hundreds of foodbanks. This partnership ensures that local efforts are strengthened by national infrastructure, resources, and advocacy.
Through Trussell (formerly Trussell Trust), foodbanks like Wimbledon’s can:
- Follow consistent, high-quality standards of support
- Access training and guidance for volunteers
- Collect data to better understand and respond to local need
- Campaign for long-term solutions to food insecurity and poverty
This combination of local knowledge and national coordination helps ensure that support is both immediate and impactful.
More Than Food: Dignity and Human Connection
A visit to Wimbledon Foodbank is not simply a transaction. Volunteers take time to welcome visitors, listen, and signpost additional support where needed – whether that’s help with budgeting, accessing benefits, or connecting with other local services.
This human connection is at the heart of the Wimbledon Foodbank’s work. It transforms a moment of need or crisis into an opportunity for support and understanding – with dignity.
How the Community Can Help
The success of Wimbledon Foodbank depends on the generosity and involvement of the local community. There are several ways residents and organisations can contribute:
- Donate food: Non-perishable essentials such as tinned goods, pasta, rice, and toiletries are always needed.
- Provide financial support: Monetary donations help cover operational costs and allow flexibility in responding to demand.
- Volunteer time: From sorting donations to supporting distribution sessions.
- Raise awareness: Sharing information helps ensure those in need know where to turn.
To learn more about how to support in any of the areas above, please visit the website: https://www.wimbledon.foodbank.com or email: wimbledonfoodbank@gmail.com
A Collective Effort
Wimbledon has a strong sense of community, and the work of Wimbledon Foodbank reflects that spirit in action. By working together – residents, volunteers, local organisations, and national partners like Trussell – we can ensure that support is there in a time of crisis.
Wimbledon Foodbank relies on the support of our local community for food donations, volunteering and finances – including donations to help with the operational costs. If you would like to learn more or support the work of Wimbledon Foodbank, here are those contact details again – website: https://www.wimbledon.foodbank.com, email: wimbledonfoodbank@gmail.com, or call Merton Community Hub on 020 8066 4086.
In between visiting Wimbledon Foodbank, or for more short-term needs, there are other sources that can help in providing free and low-cost local food services to those who need it most. Examples of these services include: Merton Community Fridge at Morden Baptist Church, Supper Club at New Horizon Centre, The Open Table at Martin Way Methodist Church, Food To Take Home at The Power Centre Church, FoodCycle Mitcham at Togetherness Community Centre, Three Course Lunch at The Graveney Canteen Tooting, and DONS Local Action Group (DLAG) Community Kitchen at Holy Trinity Church. These are listed on the website but always double check opening hours directly on their own website before visiting. If you would like to enquire about supporting any of these services by supplying donations or volunteering, please contact them directly.
DLAG also operates drop off donation points on tables outside supermarkets such as Morrisons and Tesco – look out for the tables when you walk into these stores and note the items of requirement, then add the item(s) to your shop and drop off at the table as you leave the store. The sources listed above are separate to Wimbledon Foodbank’s service.
For the Polish, Eastern European and Ukrainian communities, the Polish Family Association, in partnership with Sustainable Merton and Commonside Development Trust, offers Community Fridges spaces where anyone can access free, quality food that would otherwise go to waste. Visit: https://www.polishfamily.org.uk
If you or anyone you know is in financial crisis and live in England or Wales, you can call the Help Through Hardship helpline on 0808 2082138 for free (open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm), to talk confidentially with a trained adviser.
This blog was written by Sarah Carroll, Communications Executive at Wimbledon Community Association, and content is approved by the Wimbledon Foodbank.
If you would like us to write about your organisation or feature your own blog or news item, to raise awareness of charitable efforts to support local causes, please get in touch with our team at general@wimbledoncommunity.org