Aim

Help keep Chesterfield Foodbank running so we can continue providing emergency food, essential items and onward support to local people.

Who are we, and what is our project about?

For over 10 years, Chesterfield Foodbank has supported local people facing financial hardship. Last year alone, we provided emergency food and essentials for almost 10,000 people, including more than 2,200 children, thanks to the dedication of over 130 volunteers and the generosity of our local community.

But we do more than provide food. Our vision is a Chesterfield without the need for foodbanks. Our pioneering Support Hub model ensures every client receives a warm welcome and a listening ear from our trained volunteers. Over a hot drink, we take time to understand the circumstances around their crisis before signposting them to the most appropriate onward support. Our On-Site Specialist Support Programme brings trusted local organisations into our foodbank centres, enabling people to access advice and support with issues such as debt, benefits, housing, health, employment and wellbeing alongside their emergency food parcel. By bringing these services together in one place, we help remove barriers and make it easier for people to get the support they need.

Our Bridge the Gap appeal will help us meet the essential costs of running Chesterfield Foodbank, ensuring our foodbank centres remain welcoming community spaces where people can access emergency food alongside advice and support from trusted local organisations. Together, this helps people move beyond immediate crisis, build greater financial stability and improve their health and wellbeing. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

Like many charities, we rely on a variety of income sources to keep our services running. Throughout the year we apply for grants, organise fundraising events, receive donations from individuals and local businesses, run supermarket collections and community campaigns, and benefit from the incredible generosity of people who donate food, money and their time.

Despite these efforts and the enormous generosity of our supporters, there is still a funding gap this financial year. While our community donates thousands of food items every year, we still need to purchase around 35% of the food we put into our emergency food parcels to ensure every pack contains a balanced range of nutritious essentials. We also need to meet the everyday costs of running our foodbank centres so we can continue supporting local people and be there for them when they need us most.

Every year we carefully plan a diverse fundraising programme, combining grants, community fundraising, corporate support, individual giving and food donations. This appeal is one important part of that wider strategy, helping us bridge the remaining funding gap for this financial year.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Every donation will help us bridge the gap between the income we receive and the cost of providing emergency food, essential items and onward support to local people.

Through our Bridge the Gap Appeal, we're aiming to raise £18,000 - around 10% of the funding needed to keep our services running.

The figures below show an example of how your donations will contribute towards our annual costs:

• £10k - Purchasing non-perishable food and essential toiletries (soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, nappies, period products) to supplement the generous donations we receive from our community.
• £8k – Running our foodbank centres, utilities and communications, maintenance, office costs, admin, printing and stationery.

Every donation, no matter the size, will help us continue providing balanced emergency food parcels containing nutritious food and essential household items, and ensure that local people facing financial hardship have somewhere to turn when they need help most.

How you can help

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation

Every pledge gets us closer to our goal. Early support can help build momentum and inspire others to give too.

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to succeed.

3. Volunteer with us 

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Please visit our website and select "Give Help - Volunteer"

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th September 2026 at 1:00pm