At the Renewal Programme, our mission has always been about more than providing emergency support. It is about empowering people, strengthening communities, and creating sustainable pathways out of hardship. As the needs of our community continue to evolve, we are intentionally adapting our food support services to ensure we can provide the right support, at the right time, in the most empowering way possible.
As part of this ongoing development, we are making an important change to our food support provision at our headquarters on 395 High Street North, Manor Park:
- Our Food Bank service is now running once a week (Fridays) instead of twice a week
- Our Food Club service is now running twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) instead of once a week
These changes reflect both the growing success of our wider food support model and our long-term commitment to helping people move towards greater independence and food security.
Why Are We Making This Change?
At the Renewal Programme, we are proud to be part of a wider network of organisations supporting vulnerable people across Newham. Within just a 5–10 minute walk of our headquarters on High Street North, there are several neighbouring charities, churches, and community organisations also operating food banks and food support services.
Because of this strong local ecosystem of support, we believe it is important that our Food Bank service remains focused on those experiencing the greatest and most immediate need.
Everyone accessing our Food Bank is assessed before being registered onto the service, and access is reviewed every three months. This helps ensure that people are both eligible for support and connected into wider services, both within the Renewal Programme and through external organisations, that can help them move towards stability, independence, and improved wellbeing.
Over time, this approach led us to develop what is now our Food Club (previously known as the Community Pantry).
From Emergency Support to Sustainable Support
Our Food Club is designed as an affordable, community-based alternative to emergency food provision. Rather than a crisis-response service, it operates more like a low-cost community supermarket, where local residents can access:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Tinned and dry goods
- Toiletries and household essentials
- Everyday food items at very low prices
The Food Club provides an important next step for households who may no longer require emergency food parcels but are still struggling with the rising cost of living.
Most importantly, it offers support in a way that is dignified, empowering, and sustainable, allowing people to continue accessing affordable food while maintaining greater choice and independence.
Part of Our Wider Food Collective
The Food Bank and Food Club are just two parts of the Renewal Programme’s growing Food Collective, a wider programme of community food initiatives aimed at reducing food insecurity, tackling isolation, reducing food waste, and bringing people together.
Each week, our Food Collective now includes:
- Two Community Hot Meal services
- Three free Community Cafés
- Food Club every Tuesday and Thursday
- Food Bank every Friday
- Upcoming community cooking classes
Together, these services are supporting a growing number of households across Newham, helping families navigate rising living costs while also fostering meaningful community connections.
Tackling Food Waste and Supporting the Community
Through our Food Sustainability Project, led by Rob McLean, the Renewal Programme works closely with local food banks, churches, schools, supermarkets, restaurants, and organisations including Newham Food Alliance and The Felix Project to redistribute surplus food across the borough.
This year alone, we are on course to save at least 20 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste, helping both people and the environment.
Expanding Our Support to Reach More People
We are also excited to be expanding our services even further.
Recently, we recruited a new Food Delivery Coordinator, who will help us extend support to hard-to-reach residents, including isolated individuals who are unable to leave their homes.
Alongside this, we have welcomed five new cargo bike volunteers, who will play a key role in helping deliver food and essentials sustainably across the community.
Looking Ahead
These changes are part of the Renewal Programme’s continued commitment to creating responsive, community-led support that not only meets immediate needs but also helps people build resilience and independence for the future.
We remain deeply grateful to all our volunteers, partners, supporters, and community members who make this work possible every day.
If you would like to support and find out more about our Food Collective, please visit:
https://www.renewalprogramme.org.uk/the-food-collective/
