About the Foodbank at St Matthew's
What we do
The Foodbank at St Matthew's in Redhill provides local families and individuals with essential food and supplies to keep them going until a longer term solution is found.
We co-operate with a number of other local charities and agencies, acutely aware that too often food poverty is accompanied by other needs and problems that also require targeted support. We normally require that those we are supporting are referred to us by one of these charities or agencies, in order to ensure that appropriate help aside from immediate food needs is also available to these individuals and families.
The food that we provide, and the operation that we run to store and distribute this food, are paid for primarily by donations from local individuals, groups, schools, churches and businesses. From time to time we are also able to access government grants, but donations always provide the bulk of the food we distribute.
Click here to see a presentation about what we do.
When & where we operate
The Foodbank operates from St Matthew’s Church, which is at 71 Station Road in Redhill. Currently we are using the doors on the west side of the church (on the left as you look at the church from the road), which is clearly marked with a sign when the Foodbank is open.
We are open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from midday to 2.00pm, except on Public Holidays. (Please note therefore that we will be closed on Friday 25th December 2026 and Friday 1st January 2027. If you normally collect a food parcel or make food donations on Fridays, please collect or deliver instead on either Monday or Wednesday of those two weeks.)
Click here for a map.
Who we work with
We are in frequent contact with many local charities and agencies concerning those who we are supplying with food, as we ensure that everyone we are supporting is referred to us. Whilst we are happy to receive referrals from many different local organisations, including surgeries, schools, refuges and churches, we tend to deal most often with a handful of local agencies such as
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Citizens’ Advice Bureau
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Renewed Hope Trust
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Raven Housing Trust
In general, such agencies normally contact us quickly by phone or email to confirm their support when someone in need of food support contacts them. Once this is done, we supply both non-perishable and fresh food items whilst the agency continues to work out solutions to the other issues the supported individual or family are facing. We remain in contact with the referring agency, prolonging or ceasing our food support depending on how those being supported are fairing.
Click here for a full list of local referral agencies.
Who supports us
We regularly receive food donations from local churches, workplace and neighbourhood groups and individuals, for which we and those who receive the food are extremely grateful. In addition, at certain times of the year we also receive seasonal food donations, particularly from schools and churches - for example at Harvest and during Lent.
We also receive regular cash donations from many individuals, several of which are gift-aided, for which again we are very grateful. This money helps us to pay our operating expenses, provide fresh food and also frequently to supplement the non-perishable food donations we receive in order to meet the local needs that we are aware of.
Click here for a full list of recent donors.