Help with food costs

FareShare and Neighbourly are organisations that take food that would otherwise go to waste and give it to local communities. 

Food Friends connects volunteers who are happy to deliver extra portions of their home cooked food to a neighbour. 

Canterbury Umbrella Centre run a social health cafe every week, offering hot meals for £5 and a weekly food packet for a small donation.

The Hub Cafe at Canterbury Baptist Church has a 'pay what you can' cafe. They also have a community fridge for people that need food parcels.

Too Good to Go is an app that offers leftover food at a discount price from restaurants and cafes that would otherwise be thrown away. 

OLIO also have a similar app to pick up leftover food.

Food banks are charities that give food to people who can't afford it. All food banks run slightly differently so make sure you contact your local one to find out what you need to do first.

Find a food bank

If you have a child under 19 in full-time education and you get certain benefits - like Universal Credit or income support - you might be able to get free school meals for them.

If your child is in reception, year 1 or year 2, you'll get free school meals for them anyway - you don't need to be getting a benefit.

Find out more about free school meals