‘We don’t want anybody in Gloucester to go hungry’

Written By Wendy Kewley

Gloucester Foodbank manager Vicky Ranford talks about food security in our latest spotlight

Located unobtrusively behind Gloucester train station, Gloucester Foodbank is easy to walk past and miss. Yet it’s been playing a vital role in the city for 20 years, providing a lifeline to anyone in hardship. Inside you’ll find around 14 tonnes of food representing five weeks of sustenance for the community.

Manager Vicky Ranford joined in May after setting up a community pantry near her home in Quedgeley and realising the scale of food poverty in the area. She is the only full-time member of staff and works with a dedicated team of around 120 volunteers.

“A real success would be that people wouldn’t be in food poverty,” says Vicky, “and so we could close the foodbank because we’re not needed anymore.”

  • Instead, the cost-of-living crisis has pushed a lot of people just over that edge where they need support.

    “What we’re finding now is that the struggle to keep enough money coming in means that many people who used to donate items in the foodbank box can’t necessarily afford to do that anymore.

    “So, I’m just trying to get the word out. We’ve got our mission: we don’t want anybody in Gloucester to go hungry.”

    Part of the Trussell Trust, Gloucester Foodbank is a registered charity in its own right. It’s an emergency resource, so people need to be referred and can only visit the foodbank a limited number of times. It’s designed to be a temporary solution.

    Vicky and the team provide a three-day package of ambient (shelf-stable) food, nutritionally balanced with foods such as beans, tinned sardines, pasta, tinned vegetables, noodles, rice, cereal and biscuits. They can also provide washing powder, shampoo, conditioners, toothbrushes, baby food and nappies – everything a person or family might need for a few days.

    Earlier this year, the foodbank was spotlighted when a longtime volunteer – also called Vicky - was honoured with the Volunteer of the Year award at the 2025 Gloucestershire Volunteer Awards. This Vicky volunteers at Elim Church in Gloucester, one of three drop-in food collection hubs run by Gloucester Foodbank around the city. She realised that the usual food parcels didn’t meet the cultural and dietary needs of many of the local refugees, so decided to include options for Halal and Kosher diets. These were very well received and appreciated by the community and helped them to adjust to their new surroundings.

    Partnership with GL Communities

    While food parcels are critical in the short-term, the long-term goal is to enable people to become financially secure.

    As manager Vicky says: “We’re trying to eradicate food poverty, which is part of the Trussell mission, so, we’re not just sticking a plaster on by saying, ‘Oh, here’s three days’ worth of food’.

    “That’s all very well for the next three days, but what are you going to do on day four?

    “We get a lot of the same people coming in - last year we had somebody who had 30 food parcels in 12 months. This is something that we’re trying to reduce by providing more holistic support.

    To this end, the foodbank set up a partnership with GL Communities to provide financial support. People are encouraged to call GL Communities for advice on benefit claims, finances and debt, as well as help with sustainable budgeting plans going forward.

    The team at GL Communities also have access to other services and can help with other benefits, for example the Severn Trent Big Difference Scheme can help reduce bills. Their expertise and support can make a huge difference.

    The foodbank team are prioritising signposting and getting people to engage in these financial planning services, to get to the root of the problem and hopefully resolve it.

    “It’s a collaborative effort,” says Vicky.

    Creating a food ladder for Gloucestershire

    Gloucester Foodbank is now also part of a wider plan for even greater collaboration across the city with Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) currently exploring ways of achieving food security and fostering local change through a ‘food ladder’. An evidence-based approach, a ‘food ladder’ aims to foster resilience by bringing a community together.

    Three rungs represent different, but inter-connected, levels to food security. The first rung provides crisis food provision and basic signposting. The second creates different options, giving people more choices with food clubs, nutrition training and community gardening. The final rung is led by the community with activities encouraging everyone to look after each other by taking control of their nutrition and health.

    This strategy is underpinned by the Feeding Gloucestershire and Nourishing Gloucestershire initiatives which aim to improve food security and promote healthier eating across the county.

    Vicky says: “We really do need to collaborate city wide to make sure that people don’t go hungry. At the moment, we all operate quite individually.

    “It could make things easier for people who really need the help.”

    Vicky’s attention is also preoccupied with funding. Through its franchise with the Trussell Trust, Gloucester Foodbank benefits from supermarket donations from Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s, as well as buying food at wholesale prices from Morrisons. Contrary to common belief though, the Trussell Trust don’t fund the foodbank, resulting in the foodbank being hugely dependent on donations.

    She says: “We got around £90,000 from our supporters and corporates last year, but it’s looking as though it might be reduced by a third this year.”

    Though demand for food parcels has dropped slightly this year so far, the busiest – and most worrying – months in the winter are still to come.

    “I’d love to spend £100,000 a year on food, but it’s very difficult for me to raise £100,000 a year.

    Vicky continues: “We apply for funding regularly, but we don’t fit the criteria – they won’t give you the running costs. They like a new project, but what we need is food.

    “This is why we’re promoting our 20th year to raise awareness – but it’s not just for money or donations – it’s also to make sure that the people who need us know we exist and know how to access our services.

    “I hate the thought that there are little children worried about where their next meal is coming from, or people going hungry because they can’t afford to feed themselves.

    “In 2025, that’s terrible – it’s criminal.”


    Get in touch with Gloucester Foodbank

    1 - Referrals

    • Referral forms for Gloucester Foodbank can be given by Citizens Advice, GL Communities or Caring for Communities & People or alternatively GP practices, children’s centres, social workers and health visitors.

    2 – Help support Gloucester Foodbank

Wendy Kewley
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