How it works
Kirkcaldy Foodbank relies on a range of support to keep our operations running. We couldn't do it without the great services we work alongside and the care and compassion of the community of Kirkcaldy.
Support from the community
Local organisations such as schools, local supermarkets, churches and faith groups collect donations of non-perishable foods for the foodbank, from anyone who wants to donate.
Food is collected from these places by volunteers and taken to the foodbank. Additionally, we rely on a high amount of cash donations to buy extra food. Volunteers collect the food from donation points, then make up food packages at the foodbank. Fife Council's Community Payback team transports the packages to our distribution points.
Anyone can come to us for support
Unlike some foodbanks that operate with complicated referral systems, we do not believe in putting up barriers to support for people who are facing a crisis situation. Anyone in need can come to one of our foodbank locations during our opening hours and receive a free emergency food parcel. We listen to them about what's going on in their life and ask if they would like to talk to a professional about it.
We try to support people out of their situations
We signpost people to the appropriate support services for their situation. We encourage them to speak to our on-site CARF and social services support workers during our drop-in sessions to help them improve their situations.
We use our data to contribute to change
We try to be a voice for the people we support and advocate for change. We do this by working in partnership with other organisations, contributing data and feedback to research projects, targeting politicians, running campaigns and educating people on the issues surrounding poverty.
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Do I need a referral?No - you can simply turn up to one of the foodbank locations during opening hours and you will be able to speak to one of our supportive volunteers and receive a food parcel.
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What are your opening times?Park Road Centre - 2 Park Road, Kirkcaldy KY1 3EL Mondays and Thursdays 10am-3pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10am-1pm Linton Lane Centre - Linton Lane, Kirkcaldy KY2 6LF. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10am-12.30pm New Volunteer House 16 East Fergus Place, Kirkcaldy KY1 1XT ​ Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-12.30pm Link Living (agency referrals only) Westbridge Mill, Bridge Street, Kirkcaldy KY1 1TE. Monday to Friday 10am-4pm
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Do you deliver?Unfortunately we cannot deliver food parcels. However, you can attend whichever foodbank centre is most convenient to you.
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Can I donate cash?Absolutely! You can donate cash by visiting us at the Park Road Centre, 2 Park Road, Kirkcaldy KY1 3EL. The best times to come are between 1pm-3pm on Mondays or Thursdays or between 6pm-7pm on Thursday evenings. You can also donate food directly to us during these times.
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Isn't it just drug and alcohol users who use the foodbank so they can have extra money to support their lifestyle?Less than 15% of referrals come from drug and alcohol support services and most of their clients are in treatment programmes. You can read more about the types of people who use the foodbank here.
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Is it only people on benefits who use foodbanks?Not so - we see many families on low income having to use our service for various reasons, from unexpected bills to delayed wages. Debt, financial hardship and unexpected bills account for nearly 30% of our usage. You can read more about the types of people who use the foodbank here.
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Is it just single adults that use foodbanks?Less than 50% of our users are single, with families accounting for nearly a third of all parcels we distribute. You can read more about the types of people who use the foodbank here.
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Do people just continually use the foodbank so they can spend their money on other things?Less than half of the people using our service use it more than once! Less than a fifth use it more than five times.
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Isn't the foodbank funded by government / councils / other statutory bodies?We are an independent foodbank funded wholly by donations from the generous people of Kirkcaldy and the surrounding area. We sometimes apply for grants but these are getting harder to get and we need support more than ever to keep up with our mission.
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Can any old food can be donated to the foodbank and they can use it?All donated food has to be non-perishable and in date. You can also donate cash via our website or use our handy online food donation tool.
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Dp people just turn up at foodbanks and expect food?Our volunteers assess their immediate needs and determine that they are genuinely in need of an emergency food parcel. They also offer advice on where that person should seek further advice and support.
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No-one should need to use a foodbank, everyone is entitled to benefits if they don’t workWhile it's true we also wish no-one needed to use the foodbank, unfortunately it's not quite as simple as that. More than 60% of all people using our service are doing so because of some issue relating to their benefits (delay/change/sanction).
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The foodbank gets lots of donations so mine doesn’t matterEach month we spend about £14,000 making up the shortfall between donations and demand for food. Go to the 'Donate money' page on our website to donate now.
Our supporters
