How to get help

1. The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.

In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation we work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis.

If you have children attending a local school, check if your school can make the referral for you. Your GP, health visitor, or social care worker may also be able to help you get a foodbank voucher. If you call or email our foodbank we can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency.

2. Arrange a visit to the referral agency.

They will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate.

If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis. Agencies we regularly work with include:

• Jobcentre Plus Chesterfield
• Pathways of Chesterfield
• Chesterfield Citizens Advice
• DLNR – CRC (Probation)
• CBC Neighbourhoods
• Team/Tenancy Sustainment Team
• Derbyshire Recovery Partnership
• The Elm Foundation
• Adullam Homes Housing Association
• Chesterfield Mental Health Team
• Children’s Services Chesterfield Area Office
• Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust
• P3 Charity Tenancy Support
• Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre

If you can’t afford food, you can call 0808 208 2138 (freephone) to speak to a trained and independent Citizens Advice agent (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). Please note this number is for people who do not have enough money for food – if you are a local organisation or charity that works with people who might need the foodbank, please contact us directly.

3. Bring  your foodbank voucher to your nearest foodbank centre. 

You can find a list of our local centres and opening times here. When you arrive, we’ll welcome you with a warm drink and our trained volunteers will chat with you about your situation. We’ll also discuss any dietary needs you may have and exchange your foodbank voucher for a parcel of three days of emergency food. We’ll also help to support you in any other ways that we can. Most of our foodbank centres offer a cafe style environment and our aim is to provide non-judgemental support at the point of crisis.

 

Agency Contact Details. 

For contact details and a short description of what agencies do see below:

Care Services Services
Derbyshire County Council Leaving Care Service	Our service is specific to young people who have been in care and have been referred to the leaving care service as care leavers, also we support unaccompanied asylum seekers placed under Derbyshire County Council care	Call 01629 533190	Website
Mental Health Services
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Trust	A range of services around mental health and emotional wellbeing including:- drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, learning disabilities, autism assessments, mother and baby mental health issues (tbc)	Call 01332 623700	Website
Chesterfield Mental Health Prevention and Personalisation	Support clients with mental health difficulties, by assessing their social care needs and offering support through signposting, Mental Health Enablement Plans, or through funded care packages. Also responsible for the safeguarding of vulnerable adults with mental health difficulties.	Call 01629 537555	n/a
Chesterfield AMHP Team	Carry out mental health assessments (including to assess whether individuals need to be detained as part of their treatment).	Call 01629 537555	Website
Acute and Community Care Services, Killamarsh	Mental health support for individuals referred to the clinic by other healthcare professionals.	Call 0114 2474886	n/a
Housing & Homelessness Issues
Pathways of Chesterfield	Support for homeless people – help with accommodation, rough sleeper breakfast, benefits help, emergency clothing and shoes, Tuesday social group, CAB advice and onsite nurse etc (tbc)	Call 01246 498204	Website
CBC – Neighbourhoods Team	Tenancies, anti-social behaviour (complaints & enforcement), migrant information etc (tbc)	Call 01246 345068	Website
Adullam Housing	Accommodation hubs for care leavers to promote independent living. Also, tenancy related support in accommodation within the community for those aged 18 – 25	Call 01298 73798	Website
Lighthouse Homes	Immediate, medium and long-term accommodation for homeless men in a safe and structured environment.	Call 01246 205793	Website
South Yorkshire Housing Association	A housing association housing people with general and specific needs	Call 0114 2900296	Website
North East Derbyshire District Council Housing	General housing advice and information about housing options. Homeless prevention and homelessness. Assessment of entitlement to housing for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Provision of temporary accommodation for homeless people considered to be in priority need for housing.	Call 01246 217723	Website
Benefits Advice
Chesterfield Jobcentre Plus	Benefits claims. Located at: Markham House Markham Road Chesterfield Derbyshire United Kingdom S40 1TG	Call 0800 169 0190	Website
Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre	Welfare Benefits & Tax Credits Completion of Claim Forms Representation at Benefit Tribunals Liaising with the Department of Work and Pensions, Inland Revenue and Local Authorities On-site Redundancy Advice Advice and Information on Union Membership Benefits and Universal Credit AdviceCompletion of claim forms Representation at Benefit tribunals Liaising with the Department of Work and Pensions, Inland Revenue and Local Authorities On-site redundancy advice Advice and information on Union Membership	Call 01246 231441	Website
Children & Young People
Children’s Centres – Chesterfield Area Office	Families and single parents with children 0-5 (tbc)	Call 01629 537702	Website
Addiction
Derbyshire Recovery Partnership	Help for people with drug or alcohol dependency or people that know them (tbc)	Call 01246 34569	Website
Advice and Legal Support
Chesterfield Citizens Advice	Miscellaneous specialist advice and signposting. Benefits, consumer issues, debt & money, employment, energy efficiency, health & disability, housing, immigration, legal & tax (tbc)	Call 0300 456 8437	Website
Derbyshire Law Centre	Legal support including employment, debt, discrimination, housing & homelessness, immigration, repossessions.	Call 01246 550674	Website
Miscellaneous
DLNR CRC Probation	Supervise people with community based sentences and on licence (tbc)	Call 0121 2734116	Website
The Elm Foundation	Support adults and children who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.	Call 01246 540464	Website
P3	Socially excluded and vulnerable people (tbc)	Call 01246 452571	Website
Chesterfield Careline & Support	Support for vulnerable/elderly people to live independently. Support officers offer a needs led service assisting people to access to other services, making referrals, maximising income, arranging aids and adaptations reducing risk and social isolation. We also offer our Careline emergency alarm service enabling customers to get help and reassurance 24/7 every day of the year, as part of this we also have a falls recovery service where an uninjured faller can be assisted back up safely reducing the wait for and resources of the emergency services.	Call 01246 34569	Website
Acorn Housing	Support to identify and address barriers such as: • Housing • Domestic Abuse • Substance Misuse • Ex Offenders • Mental Health Discretionary fund that can support with addressing barriers and pay for equipment and training including: • Travel • Childcare • Private counselling • Accredited courses • Mobile Phones • Household equipment such as skips, beds, etc In house training and employability support including, • ICT training • Health and Social Care level 1 • Universal credit support course • Weekly job clubs	Call 01246 520530	Website

If you have any further questions our FAQ’s page may help, or feel free to give us a call.