Guest Blog by Fiona Gallagher | Chair, Worthing Food Foundation and Trustee, Les Alden Foundation
Worthing Food Foundation and Worthing Vegan Foodbank are delighted to be partnering with MOMENTUM Business Support this year to help raise awareness of our charity and highlight the ways in which local people and businesses can get involved to support those in need in our community.
You may have read MOMENTUM’s earlier blog about our work and the need for donations (financial and physical) to help us support 1,000 local residents every month with fresh and tinned food, hygiene, baby, household and pet supplies. A lot has changed in the five and a half years since we started providing free, emergency essentials to those in need as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but sadly the need to support the most vulnerable in our community has not gone away. We offer up to four weeks of basic essentials to those in crisis – which might be as a result of a job loss, housing loss, relationship breakdown or a physical or mental health crisis – as well as helping those who have no local support networks or find themselves navigating Worthing on their own, including people leaving care, prison or hospital, refugees, asylum seekers and people fleeing domestic violence. We welcome donations of items, but still have to purchase 90% of what we provide at normal retail prices. If you would like to donate to our foodbank, you can do so via our parent charity’s JustGiving page. All donations are used to purchase food and other essentials to support families in need across the local community. If you would like to give food or other essentials, you can find a list of what we provide on our website. Donations can be dropped off at our depot between Tuesday and Friday 9am to 11am where they will be very gratefully received. Our depot is located at the East Worthing Baptist Church, 44 Pendine Avenue, East Worthing BN11 2NA.
New Community Food Club
We are also very aware that the continuing cost-of-living crisis means that for many people, making their household budget stretch to meet essential bills can be a challenge. In Worthing, the increase in private rental costs has significantly outpaced the rise in wages since the Covid-19 pandemic, and coupled with the rise in basic food prices and higher utility costs, many working-age people are struggling to make ends meet. For this reason, we have recently launched our Community Food Club, which offers a range of foodstuffs, household and hygiene products in return for a small donation towards the costs of these items. Think of it as a subsidised alternative to a supermarket shop. While the Food Club isn’t intended to take the place of a supermarket, it does offer a low-cost way of accessing food and household essentials for people who need a little extra help and would like to contribute a small amount in return.
We provide three-four days’ worth of fresh, tinned and dry food for £5 or £7.50, depending on family size. We also offer a hygiene bag for £5, including toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, soap, razors and razorblades. Household items such as washing up liquid, laundry detergent and toilet paper are available on request, as well as cat and dog food. We continue to provide baby supplies (nappies, formula, wipes) and sanitary products for free to all our members.
Like our emergency food support, the Community Food Club operates on a pre-ordering basis via our help number 07526176272 (text, whatsapp or call), and our depot is open on Wednesdays and Fridays to collect the order. Our depot is at the East Worthing Baptist Church, 44 Pendine Avenue, East Worthing BN11 2NA.
Christmas giving – can you help?
Every year we run a Christmas giving campaign to help us provide some extra Christmas treats for the families we support. Christmas can be a very stressful time of year for those on low incomes and we try to alleviate some of that stress by providing additional food and festive items to make Christmas a little easier. This year we are collecting donations of:
- Christmas biscuit or cookie tins
- Christmas variety packs
- Boxes of chocolates
- Sweets for children
- Small Christmas puddings or pannetones
- Christmas crackers
- Stocking fillers such as chocolate coins
- Christmas-themed paper or other recyclable bags to put everything in!
We support up to 250 families every year at Christmas and would really appreciate any help you can give to make Christmas a little easier for everyone. Financial donations are always appreciated here. Thank you!
Support MOMENTUM’s fundraiser!
We’re fasting for 24 hours to raise money for the Worthing Food Foundation, supporting local people facing food poverty and helping ensure no one in our community goes hungry. 24th – 25 November 2025.
We’re inviting our clients, friends, and supporters to get involved:
💙 Sponsor our fast — every penny helps feed someone in need.
💙 Share this page to help raise awareness.
💙 Or even join us and try fasting for a day yourself!
Every contribution will go directly to the Worthing Food Foundation to help them continue their incredible work supporting local families.
Thank you for helping us make a real difference. Together, we can ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.
Visit our JustGiving page.
Thank You For Your Support!