Food Support
Food Banks
Food banks provide emergency food parcels to help people who can’t afford food. For some food banks, you need a voucher. Check on the link below before you visit.
Community Food Clubs
You could reduce your food shopping bill by having access to roughly £20 worth of shopping each week.
Food Cycle
Join for a hearty cooked meal for free every SUNDAY at 1pm
No need to book, just show up at:
Al Madina Mosque, 2 Victoria Road, Barking, IG11 8PY
Local Discounts and Sharing
Olio
Olio connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food and items can be shared, not thrown away.
Too Good to Go
Head to the Too Good To Go app to find Surprise Bags from your favourite shops and restaurants for a discounted price.
£1 Recipes
Visit the BBC Good Food website for dinner recipes that only cost £1 to make.
Meal Mate
Meal Mate provides subsidised meals by visiting our partner restaurants directly. The first 40 residents daily can access subsidised meals at £2, capped at 1 meal per person. There are 4 Meal Mate restaurant locations:
- Street Kitchen – Parsloes Avenue, Parsloes Ave, Dagenham RM9 5QP
- Osborne Partnership – 54 Osborne Square, Dagenham RM9 5AU
- Humdum – 15 London Rd, Barking IG11 8AA
- Al Madina Mosque (Available on Fridays only) – Barking Muslims Association, 2 Victoria Rd, Barking IG11 8PY
Social Supermarket & Street Kitchen
Kingsley hall have a social super market where you can purchase wholesale food cheaply. This is open to everyone.
The Street Kitchen based at Kingsley Hall also offers affordable cooked meals.
Healthy Start Scheme
Healthy Start (Best Start in Scotland) vouchers can be used by families on low incomes to buy cows’ milk, formula milk, fruit and veg and other food. You need to be:
- At Least 10 weeks pregnant.
- Have at least 1 child under 4 years old
- Be receiving certain benefits
Free Cooking Classes
Join a cooking session that are happening across Barking and Dagenham. You don’t have to know loads about cooking, join in and meet new people!
Maximise your Income
Maximise your income by checking what benefits you’re entitled to. £19 billion in benefits go unclaimed every year. Try our easy to use benefits checker today.