About Us

Helping local people in crisis

We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. That’s why we provide three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to us in crisis. We are part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.

Knowsley Foodbank was founded in 2011 to support people in crisis who cannot afford food. People can self-refer through the Citizens Advice Bureau; we also receive referrals from community partners and agencies. including schools, healthcare professionals and support agencies such as Social Services. Reasons for referrals are many and varied, but there are trends for referrals because of redundancy, benefit delays, benefit sanctions and reduced or inadequate wages or benefits. We also find the unmanageable personal debt can compromise a seemingly adequate income, leading to a need for foodbank support.

Foodbank clients receive ambient food, toiletries and personal care items as per the Trussell Trust guidelines. To prevent generating dependency, clients are usually given no more than three food parcels within a twelve-month period. However, where there is a genuine need, we will support for longer. All foodbank clients are encouraged to access support with the causes of their food crisis, either through referral to a Big Help Project service such as Big Help Debt Advice, or to an external agency. During Covid-19, the three-parcel guidelines were suspended to accommodate the unique circumstances of the pandemic, which saw us feed over 77,000 people in 2021. We are funded by the local authority, and have been funded by Trussell Trust, grant-awarding bodies and businesses, and regularly receive food donations from individuals, schools, businesses and the civic community.