Inaugural Newsletter July 2025

Dear All,

Welcome to the Horney Foodbank Newsletter. This is the first of our regular updates for volunteers, guests and supporters where we will highlight key events, news and future developments related to the Foodbank and the services it provides.

This month we would like to use the opportunity to highlight a few things that may be useful to you all as we continue to grow and extend our service.

Foodbank structure

When the foodbank became a registered charity at the end of 2023, a board of trustees was established, which are selected by appointment. The current trustees are:

Anne O’Daly (chair)
Nas Karim
Rev Ben Kerridge
Cecelia Lagier
Sam Mercadante
Treasurer: Ailsa McWilliam

In February of this year, we set up new working groups focusing on tasks that happen behind the scenes of the foodbank. The working groups meet throughout the year and currently have at least one trustee in each group reporting to the wider board of trustees. The working groups are:

Safeguarding (overseen by Ben): responsible for the safeguarding policy and any issues that may arise.
Operations (overseen by Anne): responsible for the day-to-day operations of the foodbank service.
Events and Fundraising (overseen by Cecelia): managing the LocalGiving page, managing fundraising appeals and events.
Communications and Engagement (overseen by Cecelia, Nas and Sam): this is a new group that will look at out the communications to volunteers, guests and supporters (website, newsletter etc) and explore more ways that we can engage with guests of the foodbank.

Please email wearehornsey@gmail.com if you are interested in joining one of the working groups.

Upcoming events

External agencies visiting the foodbank for guests

10 Jul: National Energy Action (NEA)
17 Jul: Haringey Advice Partnership
24 Jul: Diabetes UK
31 Jul: Vibrance

General

14 Sep: Townhall and summer social (at Holy Innocents Church)
23 Nov: AGM

Advice Services offered at Hornsey Foodbank

Hornsey Foodbank has external advice agencies attending the foodbank on a regular basis. This is an area that we are working to expand and hope that a future guest survey will help to identify the areas in which our guests would most like support. The external agencies that currently attend are:

Diabetes UK is currently running a community engagement project to reach hard-to-reach communities with an emphasis on Turkish-speaking communities.

Haringey Advice Partnership (HAP) and Vibrance attend each month. Together they deliver information, advice and guidance on areas around:
Employment
Welfare/benefits
Housing
Immigration
Health and social care topics (GP services, dentists, mental health services, social care etc)

National Energy Action (NEA) is a national charity focused on fuel poverty and provides energy advice.

Shine London is a fuel poverty network and free energy advice service for Londoners. It offers a dedicated helpline and affordable warmth interventions to ensure households get the help they need to reduce utility bills, tackle energy debt and ultimately stay well and warm.

Haringey Talking Therapies offers support for a range of common mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety, OCD, PTSD and more.

Shaw Trust is a charity that helps people find and keep meaningful jobs.

Volunteer spotlight

Andrew MacDonald

‘I started volunteering at Hornsey Foodbank over two years ago now. It’s a very special place with a really lovely group of guests, volunteers and drivers. It reminds me every week that we have a hugely supportive community here in Hornsey.’

During 2024 Andrew painted portraits of people involved in the food bank community: as guests, volunteers and drivers. Over a 12-month period, he created one portrait a month. In addition, he has produced a beautiful book featuring the portraits as well as photographs of set up and clear up. He has generously donated all sales of the book to Hornsey Foodbank. His foodbank paintings have been exhibited in the Highgate Gallery during March, and during June they were exhibited at the Face to Face exhibition at the Original Gallery, Hornsey Library, as well as being on display during Crouch End Open Studios.

We have an amazing local community and volunteers who help support the Foodbank through their generous donations and volunteer time. We are very fortunate to have regular fundraising events held by the Hornsey Collective band and Songworks Choir, amongst many. In addition, we wanted to highlight some wider community fundraisers which have recently been held for Hornsey Food Bank.

Ten year old Delchi has held two cookie and cake sales after his local football games and practices and has raised £80. Thank you so much Delchi!

Anne O’Daly being presented with a cheque at the Coleridge Assembly by Headteacher, Leon Choueke

Anne Lamont

‘I'd walked the Camino de Santiago with a friend in 2022 raising funds for a refugee support organisation in Tottenham so when I joined Hornsey Foodbank as a Thursday volunteer that year, it seemed like a great way to raise funds again in 2023, this time for the foodbank. The walk is an amazing enterprise passing through beautiful landscapes so I had no hesitation in doing it for a third time last year, this time as a solo walker. The Foodbank, like the Camino, brings together people from all walks of life and its been a joy to meet others and work with them in a well-organised and worthy project.’ Anne raised an amazing £5,233 for the Foodbank through her two walks.

Anne in Cathedral Square in Santiago proudly clutching the Compostela which certificates her completing 100 kilometres on the Camino (The Way of Santiago).

With special thanks

Crouch End Festival put on the Face to Face exhibition at Hornsey Library, which featured artwork by Coleridge Primary School pupils and local Crouch End artists. They very kindly nominated Hornsey Foodbank as the charity to support. Over the weekend that the exhibition was on, they raised an incredible £1,025.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to Coleridge School, Crouch End Festival and the artists Mark Entwisle, Lizzie Brown, Susie Breen, Andrew MacDonald, Carol Tarn, Simon Cooper, Maureen Harrison and Luca Bonnano, all representing Crouch End Open Studios.

We are so grateful for the continued support from all our volunteers and the local community to help ensure the smooth running of Hornsey Foodbank. Thanks for everything you do!

Finally, given the Foodbank is very much a community based project, please feel free to send through any suggestions for future news items/updates that you would like to see. Suggestions can be emailed to feedback.hornseyfoodbank@gmail.com.

Our next newsletter will be available in early autumn. By then we will be able to give you more information about a Guest Survey which is planned for early autumn. Further details to follow.

Take care of yourselves and where possible enjoy the good weather.

Hornsey Food Bank 16/04/2023 Hornsey Food Bank 16/04/2023

Thank you to Crouch End Bridge Club and Bounds Green Bowls and Tennis Club

Thanks so much to Crouch End Bridge Club who have made a very generous donation to Hornsey Food Bank from funds raised at a recent quiz night. Big thanks also go to Bounds Green Bowls and Tennis Club who kindly donated their club for free for the quiz night evening.

Hornsey Food Bank 14/04/2023 Hornsey Food Bank 14/04/2023

HFB receives Magic Little Grant!

Magic Little Grant - We are delighted to report that HFB has received a Magic Little Grant through the partnership between Localgiving and Postcode Society Trust.

Postcode Society Trust is a grant-giving charity funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Localgiving is the UK’s leading membership and support network for local charities and community groups. Our project received £500 towards the Hornsey Food Bank’s additional support for families during the winter school holidays.

Please visit www.localgiving.org/magic-little-grants if your organisation wishes to apply for funding.

Hornsey Food Bank 31/10/2022 Hornsey Food Bank 31/10/2022

Thank you to Crouch End Bridge Club!!!

Crouch End Bridge Club (CEBC) held its annual charity event on Sunday 16 October 2022 in support of the Food Bank, which managed to raise a truly phenomenal £2000!!!!

Along with CEBC, we wish to thank the Bounds Green Bowling and Tennis Club for offering the use of their hall free of charge. A significant sum was raised through the raffle held on the day. The prizes were donated by the generous retailers of Crouch End and include Les 2 Garçons, Peppermint Green hair salon, Waterstones, Dunn’s Bakery, the Picture House, the Art House and the Pet and Garden Centre.

Hornsey Food Bank 20/03/2022 Hornsey Food Bank 20/03/2022

Welcome to the Hornsey Foodbank’s new website

New Website

Welcome to the Hornsey Foodbank’s new website. Check back here for minutes of the management committee meetings and to find out the latest Hornsey Foodbank news.

Welcome to our new website. Check back here for the latest Hornsey Foodbank news and for minutes of the management committee meetings. If you have any feedback on our new site, please email wearehornsey@gmail.com.