Okehampton Food Bank gives heartfelt thanks to Okehampton United Charities for their generous support this past year. Their funding lets us use a dedicated room at the Ockment Centre. As a result, we now have a safe, accessible, and welcoming base for our work.
With this secure space, we store and distribute food more efficiently. In addition, we meet clients in private and offer a warm environment to anyone who needs help.
The room also lets us bring in advisors from Citizens Advice and Community Links during our sessions. Moreover, families and individuals receive both emergency food and practical guidance on benefits, debt, housing, and wellbeing. Therefore, people can work toward longer-term solutions, not just immediate relief.
Okehampton United Charities strengthens our daily operations. Meanwhile, their support gives reassurance to the many local people who rely on us.
We depend on the kindness of local organisations, businesses, and residents. Furthermore, we appreciate Okehampton United Charities for recognising the value of this service and helping us offer support with dignity and compassion.
Demand continues to grow. However, strong community partnerships help us meet this challenge. With this support, we respond more effectively and ensure no one in Okehampton or the surrounding area faces hardship alone.
Okehampton Foodbank remains committed to offering completely free support to local people in crisis. Discover why the charity refuses to charge for essential help, and how the community can continue to make this vital service possible.
Commitment to Compassion and Fairness
Okehampton Foodbank stands firm in its belief that no one facing hardship should be asked to pay for essential support. Charging for help would place an unfair burden on individuals and families already struggling to make ends meet. By keeping its services free, the foodbank removes financial barriers and ensures everyone can access support with dignity.
Support Without Barriers
The charity’s mission is clear: provide food and assistance to the most vulnerable members of the community at no cost. Hardship is challenging enough without added fees. Okehampton Foodbank aims to help people move forward, not hold them back, a core principle that sets it apart from organisations introducing paid models.
Community Support and Sustainability
The foodbank’s ability to stay free is made possible by the generosity of donors, volunteers, and community partners. Every donation of food, funds, or time helps sustain this vital service for local people.
Upholding Dignity in Times of Crisis
A spokesperson explains:
“In times of crisis, people need compassion, dignity, and support, not another financial barrier. Our mission has always been to provide food and help to those who need it most, free of charge. We will never put a price on basic human needs.”
They add:
“Hardship is difficult enough without the added burden of costs. We are here to help people move forward, not to set them back.”
How to Support Okehampton Foodbank
The foodbank depends on continuous community generosity. Anyone wishing to help can:
Okehampton Foodbank manages the collection basket in Waitrose Okehampton, and remains deeply grateful to customers and staff for their ongoing support. Donations placed in the basket are collected regularly by volunteers.
Those wishing to donate financially can use the bank details below:
Account Name: The Okehampton Food Bank Account Number: 53504463 Sort Code: 30-99-50 Bank: Lloyds
Thank you for supporting this essential community service.
When Sarah* (name changed) walked through the doors of Okehampton Foodbank for the first time, she admits she was terrified.
“I thought I’d be judged, that people would look down on me for not being able to feed my kids,” she said. “But instead, they welcomed me with a smile. They made me feel human again.”
Stories like Sarah’s are becoming increasingly common. In the past two years alone, demand at Okehampton Foodbank has risen by an extraordinary 94 per cent a year over the last three years. Behind every statistic is a family facing difficulty, often through no fault of their own, whether it’s sudden illness, job loss, or delayed benefits.
What sets the foodbank apart, say those who use it, is how it treats people. There are no lectures, no shame. Volunteers meet families with dignity and respect, and support continues for as long as needed.
“We never want anyone to feel like they’re taking charity,” said Malcolm, the foodbank’s coordinator. “Our aim is to treat everyone with kindness and to walk alongside them until they’re steady again. Sometimes that’s a few weeks, sometimes longer – and that’s okay. It’s what we do, and what we have done since 2008.”
Volunteers echo that message.
“It could be any of us,” said Jon, who helps with fresh fruit and vegetables.
“Life can turn upside down so quickly. I always think, if I were in that situation, how would I want people to treat me? With respect. With dignity. That’s the heart of what we do.”
Beyond the foodbank, Okehampton has built other layers of support. At the Ockment Centre, volunteers stock the Community Fridge daily with surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Anyone can walk in and help themselves. Parents stopping by after school often pick up fruit and vegetables, while older residents come for bread and milk.
“It feels like sharing, not charity,”
said Lucy, a local mum who uses the fridge regularly.
“You take what you need, and if you’ve got something spare at home, you can put it in. It’s neighbourly.”
The Devon and Cornwall Food Action pop-up hub also adds support, arriving once a month at Okehampton Rugby Club, organised by Rotary Okehampton. For £30, families can pre-order a generous bag of fresh and cupboard staples. “It’s amazing how much you get,” said Paul, a father of three. “It takes the pressure off for a couple of weeks, especially when bills are stacking up.”
Each project meets a different need. The foodbank provides a safety net in moments of crisis, offering compassion and steady aid. The community fridge adds flexibility while reducing waste. The pop-up hub offers affordable groceries in bulk for families struggling week to week but not in immediate crisis.
Together, they tell a story of a town pulling together—volunteers giving time, families helping one another, and organisations working side by side. In Okehampton, hunger is met not with judgment but with community, kindness, and the promise that no one has to face it alone.
