Leicester South Food bank

Who we are

The relief of financial hardship amongst people in Leicester city, Leicestershire and the surrounding area or in other parts of the United Kingdom in such ways as the trustees from time to time think fit, in particular, but not exclusively by: a) providing emergency food, essential toiletries, and household items to individuals and families in need and/or for distribution by charities or other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty b) such other means, including (but not limited to) the provision of support or signposting to relevant information and other advisory service.

c) Provide training in relation to the effective running of a charity involved in food poverty, large scale distribution of essential items, working with volunteers and advisory agencies.

Operating from a building in the centre of Wigston to distribute emergency food parcels to members of the community who are experiencing financial hardship. Providing a community hub where residents and members of the public have a safe place that they trust, to come and socialise and be signposted to interventions that improves their health and wellbeing. The hub also offers other organisations the opportunity to show case their support and activities, and gives walk-in access and face to face interactions. Working in partnership with support and advice agencies to ensure people in the community who are struggling financially, can maximise their income. Manage a Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in Wigston, that collects and sorts and redistributes donations to other food banks in the Leicestershire area. The RDC also supplies items that are used in the emergency food parcels to our hubs, who in turn provide them to people in need in and around the city and county of Leicestershire. Each hub opens to the public at set days and times. They then distribute food parcels to individuals or families 7 days a week. These people have had their needs assessed and once assessed, they are issued a voucher which they redeem at the hubs. Occasionally we deliver to their home, depending on their ability to travel. We also operate an advice and advocacy service to which people can be referred or signposted to the most appropriate support for their situation. We work with student support services in schools, colleges and other educational institutions, with families who are struggling to put food on the table. We work with local councils housing options and benefits departments, housing associations and young people’s hostels and probation hostels to ensure that their residents reduce the risk of eviction and homelessness. We partner with local faith groups to ensure the vulnerable and marginalised in their communities are not forgotten and can at least know that they can feed their families. Some of the agencies that we work with and refer their clients to us for emergency food parcels include, social services, Youth offending services, probation, police (domestic violence and modern-day slavery units). GP’s, Hospitals community mental health teams as well as the local authority community health partnerships. We have set up a network of organisations so that there are multiple pathways a person in need can obtain help including self-referral. 

Our culture and values

Our values

Our values are the fundamental driving principles that encapsulate the passion and motivation for our work.

Compassion: We stand in solidarity with people that need the help of food banks. We put the wellbeing of people served by food banks above everything else. We always uphold and protect their dignity.

Justice: We are motivated by a desire to see a more just society. It’s not right that anyone is facing hunger and poverty. Everyone should have enough income to afford the essentials.

Community: We believe we share the responsibility to support one another in our communities. To create change, we must work together for a fairer society.

Dignity: We recognise the innate value of each individual person and seek to prioritise the other person’s needs and concerns in the ethos of inclusivity and friendship. Regardless of background.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Statement of Policy

1 .    The board of Leicester South Food Bank believes that all people are equal and seeks to promote all the foodbank's activities in ways which recognize and encourage that principle.

1. We recognize that discrimination is unacceptable and have made the decision to adopt a formal equal opportunities policy. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action.

2. The aim of the policy is to ensure no client, job applicant, employee or volunteer is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, political opinion or affiliation, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability.

3. We will ensure that the policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy will be made available for all employees and volunteers, and made known to all applicants for employment.

4. The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.

5. Everyone who is part of the foodbank has individual responsibility under this policy to ensure that the service they deliver and their behaviour towards other staff, volunteers, clients, and donors is both fair and lawful, irrespective of the position held by them.

6. Everyone who is part of the foodbank should ensure that the language they use, the behaviour they adopt, and the working environment they create is non-threatening and non-discriminatory so as to preserve dignity and respect for all, regardless of race, religion, sex, sexuality, marital status, age, employment status, political persuasion, mental or physical health, or criminal convictions.

Training and promotion

1. Staff and volunteers will receive training in the application of this policy to ensure that they are aware of its contents and provisions.

2. All promotion will be in line with this policy.

Monitoring

1. We will maintain and review the employment records of all employees and volunteers in order to monitor the progress of this policy.

2. Monitoring may involve recording recruitment, training and promotional records of all employees, the decisions reached, and the reason for those decisions.

3. The results of any monitoring procedure will be reviewed at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this policy. Consideration will be given, if necessary, to adjusting this policy to afford greater equality of opportunities to all applicants and volunteers.