Our Beginings
Okehampton Food Bank began in 2008 with a simple idea: neighbours helping neighbours.
Founded by local residents in Okehampton, the food bank was created to support anyone struggling to afford food for themselves or their family. From the very beginning, it has been funded by the community it serves, local people, churches, and businesses working together to ensure that no one goes hungry.
Today, 94% of those supported live in Okehampton or the surrounding hamlets of Brightly, Southcott, Meldon, and Stockley.
The Early Years
In its first years, demand was modest. Between 2008 and 2010, the food bank typically supported four or five families each week, and donations often exceeded need. It was a small but steady service, built on goodwill and local generosity.
A £4,600 grant from Okehampton United Charities in 2010 helped strengthen these foundations, and from that point onward the food bank became entirely self-funding.
When the Town Needed More
In 2011, the closure of three large local businesses resulted in more than 300 job losses — around 20% of the town’s population at the time. Almost overnight, the number of families needing support rose sharply, from a handful each week to around twenty.
Once again, the community responded generously, donating £12,000 in just six months to ensure the food bank could keep pace with demand.
The Pandemic and Cost of Living Crisis
Like many communities, Okehampton faced unprecedented challenges during COVID-19 and the years that followed. Demand increased to levels few could have anticipated.
By January 2023, around 40 people each week were receiving support. By March, that number had climbed to 100, and by May 2024 it peaked at 160. Increasingly, those seeking help were working households — people in employment who were still unable to meet rising rents, mortgages, and household bills.
This pattern has been reflected across the region. For example, Truro Foodbank has reported rising demand alongside falling donations, requiring significant monthly food purchases to maintain supplies. In Okehampton, the food bank has similarly drawn on its reserves to meet need.
Moving Home
For sixteen years, the food bank operated from Okehampton Baptist Church, becoming a familiar and trusted presence in the town.
In early 2024, the team was asked to relocate to the adjacent shop premises owned by the church, providing a more visible and permanent high-street base.
Volunteers agreed and invested significant time and funds to renovate and equip the shop, installing fittings and purchasing essential appliances. The food bank moved into the new premises in February 2024.
A few months later, in June 2024, the shop was closed and the food bank’s assets were transferred by the church to another organisation. A proposal from volunteers to continue operating independently was not accepted.
Where We Are Now
Undeterred, the volunteer team regrouped and re-established the food bank from the Okement Centre, working alongside key partners including Community Links SW and Citizens Advice at the heart of the town’s community hub.
From there, the work continues, providing practical support, dignity, and reassurance to local people facing hardship.
Through economic shocks, a pandemic, and rising living costs, one thing has remained constant: local people coming together to make sure no one faces hunger alone.
Get Involved
The Okehampton Food Bank is powered by the community. Every shopping bag filled and every person supported is made possible by local generosity.
There are many ways to help:
- Donate – Food or financial contributions help us respond quickly and provide essential items.
- Volunteer – From sorting donations to packing shelves, volunteers are at the heart of everything we do.
- Partner with us – Local businesses, churches, and organisations can support through collections, fundraising, or practical assistance.
However you choose to get involved, you will be helping ensure that no one in our community has to go hungry.
How to find us…
The Okehampton Food Bank is now located at the Ockment Centre on North Street, just outside the town centre.
To find it, leave the town centre via Fore Street, passing the Baptist Chapel on your left. Cross the bridge over the river and take the next left onto the street just after Courtiers. The Ockment Centre is about 100 meters down this street on the left, before the bridge into Lidl’s car park. You do not need to enter the Ockment Centre itself, unless you also need to visit the Citizens Advice office. Instead, go through the gate posts to the left of the site (when facing the road) and continue around through the garden to the back, where you will find the food bank entrance in front of you.
Registered Charity
The Okehampton Food Bank is a registered charity with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.