Food Banks
If you’re struggling to put food on the table, there are two local foodbanks in:
- Dorking
- Epsom and Ewell (including Leatherhead)
In order to get help from a food bank you will need to be referred with a voucher, which can be issued by a number of local community organisations (for instance schools, GPs and advice agencies). Your local food bank can advise which agencies can help.
Mid Surrey Community Fridges
This volunteer-led service aims to stop food wastage and to redistribute the excess food from supermarkets and restaurants to residents in need. There are collection points throughout the week, all over Mole Valley.
Free School Meals
Check to see if your child can get free school meals on GOV.UK.
Healthy Start
The Healthy Start scheme can help you buy food and milk if you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four.
Apps offering free or reduced food
The Too good to go app allows you to purchase unsold food at a discounted rate from restaurants and cafes.
The Olio app connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away.
Making savings on your weekly shop
This article has some top tips on cutting the cost of your food bill.
Household Support Fund
Funding has been allocated via the Department of Work and Pensions to help those families struggling financially in Surrey. We have worked with various charities and community organisations to distribute the funds because those organisations work with residents in the areas that the fund was set up for. We worked with:
- Mid Surrey Community Fridges
- Foodbanks Dorking, Epsom & Ewell
- BESOMs - Dorking, Ashtead
- and some other smaller organisations
The current round of funding focussed on support to older people and we have provided £100 to each pension age Council Tax Support customer. The funding ended on 30 September 2022 and was fully committed.