Community Food

Foodbanks are able to provide emergency food for anyone in crisis, who cannot afford food. A referral and a foodbank voucher are needed from a support worker or GP surgery. Anyone struggling to access a Foodbank referral can contact The Scottish Welfare Fund, who will check if you are eligible for a crisis grants within 24hours or issue a foodbank voucher. Tel: 0131 529 5299 Email: welfarefundteam@edinburgh.gov.uk

Helplines for vulnerable and high-risk people (We can’t guentee all of these are active still, please let us know so we can update this):
If you do not have support from family, friends or community organisations and are in need of food or medicine delivery please contact City of Edinburgh Council 0131 200 2306 Mon-Thu 8.30am-5pm, Fri 8.30-3.40pm or email edinburghvulnerable@edinburgh.gov.uk or
contact the Scottish Government 0800 111 4000 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

For more information on accessing a Foodbank contact The Foodbank on 0131 444 0030 or Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324 / Out of Hours 0800 731 6969.

For up to date information on the Foodbanks currently operating call 0131 444 0030 or visit https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/

Go Beyond South West in partnership with Mapme has created a map showing ongoing food provision in South West Edinburgh. Please contact organisations directly, they include but are not limited to:

  • Broomhouse Hub: offering hot, chilled, ready meals, and food parcels for pick up or delivery. This is either on a voucher system distributed to the families of children on free school meals or by referral from social workers, GPs, or other agencies. Referral forms can be obtained from Chrysa at events@spacescot.org
  • The Dove Centre:  Providing meal deliveries and essentials shopping for older people in Wester Hailes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Their answering machine will pick up calls on Wednesdays and their office is staffed on Fridays. Contact 0131 453 4656 or via their website.
  • Destiny Angels (part of Destiny Church): Run by volunteers-Befriending phone calls, emergency food parcels and home-made meal doorstep deliveries. Email angels@destinyedinburgh.com for more info.
  • Empty Kitchens: If you or anyone you know needs food support, please get in touch: hello@emptykitchens.co.uk
  • Oxgangs Community Church: offers food shopping and collecting of prescriptions. Have some funds for essential/emergency food provision. Please contact matt@oxgangs.church
  • Salvation Army Gorgie: foodbank is open Monday-1pm-3pm, Wednesday- 11am-1pm, Friday-10am-12pm. The food bank is situated in the white building next to the main building. it is called the ‘Napier Hall’. if you would like to drop of food please take it to that building.
  • SCORE Community Fridge: is providing home deliveries and will only be delivering to those who need emergency food. For more information contact the office on 0131 442 2341.
  • Stenhouse Primary: free packed lunches every weekday outside Stenhouse Baptist Church (1.30-2.30pm).
  • Tynecastle High School: Tynecastle High School ran a foodbank throughout the COVID-19 lockdown in spring and summer 2020 with the help of the BMC club, but this has now returned to being run through the school. Thank you to everyone who ran this and to everyone who donated.
  • WHALE Arts Agency: Providing a community meal – served as hot food take away at WHALE Arts Centre, 30 Westburn Grove, Edinburgh EH14 2SA. 1-2pm on Friday. Social distancing queuing in place. All are welcome to come and pick up a meal.
  • The Digital Sentinel the community news site for Wester Hailes – weekly updates on local provision.

If any of the information listed here is incorrect, please contact us and we will update as soon as possible.