There are many groups with support and advice for people managing their food needs on a tight budget.
Foodbanks
Food banks help individuals and families in crisis by providing emergency food and offer supplies.
- Referral may be required.
Black Country Foodbank
Black Country Foodbank helps vulnerable individuals and families in crisis. They offer the provision of emergency food and toiletry supplies while a longer-term solution is developed.
- Black Country Foodbank
- Telephone: 01384 671250
- Email: admin@blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk
Brierley Hill Babybank
Many families experience financial hardship as they try to adjust to having a new baby at home. The Brierley Hill Babybank supports families with baby essentials.
- Brierley Hill Babybank
- Telephone: 07930 073 077
- Email brierleyhillbabybank@gmail.com
Giving Hands
Giving Hands help with the immediate needs of local individuals and families living in poverty and deprivation. They do this by providing food, clothing, sleeping bags and bedding, furniture, household items and advice as well as food and toiletry parcels. They can also provide electric/gas top-up vouchers, particularly for the elderly.
- Giving Hands
- Telephone: 01384 731876
Provision House - Food Club and Social Supermarket
Provision House Food Club and Social Supermarket is a membership-based community project that provides a variety of groceries to families who need to save some money on their food bills. They have a range of items including fresh, chilled and frozen produce, tins and packets, toiletries and cleaning products. We sometimes have breads and pastries and a few baby products to. The quantity and variety can change from week to week.
Memberships costs £4 per visit, and you will be able to take around £20 of produce. We hope that being a member provides a sense of ownership and stability to our families.
Referral is required.
Springs Church Community Grocery Stall
Springs Church, based at Hope House in Gornal, are providing a vital service to the community.
People are able to access the community grocery store if they are in need of low cost shopping.
The cost is £4.00 for a twenty item shop and people can shop twice a week.
To join the community grocery store it costs £5.00 per year (free if you are a debt service user) The community grocery store is open:
- Tuesdays: 10am to 2pm
- Thursdays: 6pm to 8pm
- Spring Church Community Grocery Stall
St Thomas Association
If you live in the St Thomas area of Dudley, there is a local foodbank running at the community centre. No referral is required.
The foodbank is open Wednesday, 5pm-7pm and Sunday, 11am-1pm.
Trussell Trust
Trussell Trust support a nationwide network of food banks and provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.
- Trussell Trust
- Telephone: 01722 580 180
- Email: enquiries@trusselltrust.org
Where to get a meal
Café’s
Many café’s have special offers to help people with the cost of living
Asda
Asda is running a ‘Kids eat for £1' offer that has no need to buy an adult meal at the same time.
They have also launched a scheme where those aged 60 and over can enjoy soup, a roll and unlimited tea and coffee for £1. This is available in any of its 205 cafes throughout November and December.
Morrisons
Morrisons has a permanent ‘Kids eat free' offer for every adult meal purchased over £4.99.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has ‘feed your family for a fiver’ advice. This provides customers with cheap meal ideas
Tesco
Tesco's ‘Kids eat free' scheme allows parents to claim a free kids meal worth up to £3.25 on weekdays during school holidays.
The meal can be claimed with any purchase in the cafe. You must be a Clubcard holder to take advantage of the offer.
Harry’s Café - The Connect Project
65A High Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 3AB
- Monday 9am - 1pm.
This includes a surplus Food Market - Pay as you feel.
Telephone 01384 262114
Additional Advice
You can look out for offers across, shops, restaurants and pub restaurants. Many have special menu offers across school holidays.
Price cut food
Discounts and offers
GOV.UK's Help for Households site provides a useful list of offers from which are available from businesses to help with the cost of living.
Interest-free food loans
Iceland has launched an interest-free loan scheme to help families pay for food over the school holidays.
Iceland Food Club allows customers on a low income to apply for a pre-loaded card of between £25 and £75. Repayments are set at £10 a week. It is important to understand there are risks with taking out credit. You should make sure you understand how repayments work.
Support for carers
Carers who are struggling with increased energy and food costs may be eligible for a free slow cooker.
With concerns about increased energy and food costs, Dudley Carers Hub and Wellbeing Service are supporting carers to have access to an energy efficient cooking appliance that could help them to save money long term.
Carers will be provided a slow cooker and support on how to make the most of the appliance, as well as information, advice and support on managing finances, paying bills, staying warm and accessing eligible benefits, Household Support Payments or discount schemes from the Wellbeing Service.
Carers who are providing unpaid care to a family member, friend or neighbour due to illness, disability or substance dependency and struggling with the cost of living can be referred to the scheme by a professional organisation currently working with them.
For more information contact Dudley Carers Hub and Wellbeing Service
- Email: dudleycarershub@dudley.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01384 818723
Free food apps
Cooking classes
High Oak Youth and Community Centre
34 High Oak, Dudley, Brierley Hill DY5 4LA
Cooking class
- Tuesday 11am - 1pm
Contact Angela Edwards angela.edwards@highoak-youth.com
Top Church Training / Connect Project
30-32 High Street, Brierley Hill, DY5 3AE
Cooking sessions
- Thursday 3.30pm - 5pm
Contact Simone Rudge simone@topchurchtraining.co.uk
Lighthouse Café
24-26 Salop Street, Dudley, DY1 3AT
Family Cooking Club
- Thursday 9.30am - 10.30am
Call to book: 07763407612
Wrens Nest Navigators
Priory Park Community School, Meadow Road, DY1 3JY
Children's Cooking Session (Age 7 to 13)
- Wednesday 4.30pm to 5.30pm
Refferal required. Email for more details
Allotments and community gardens
Getting involved with allotments and community gardens can be a great way to grow food, save money and help improve wellbeing.
Hawbush Community Garden
Hawbush Community Garden is a small environmental site operating on the Hawbush Estate, in the DY5 area of Brierley Hill.
They have allotments, a pond area, orchard, picnic area and woodland site.
Jasmine Road Community Gardens
Jasmine Road Community Gardens based in Kates Hill offers community gardening and a wellbeing space that includes a community cafe & hub.
Connect Project - The Allotment
Tuesdays, 12.30pm - 2.30pm, Brierley Hill (referral only).
Join the Connect Project to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Healthy Start Scheme
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. The NHS will add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
You can also use your card to collect:
Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old
