BUILT ON KINDNESS. POWERED BY COMMUNITY
Feeding Families began with a single Christmas hamper - a simple gesture of care that revealed a much deeper need.
Since then, we’ve grown into the largest independent food support charity in the North East, delivering hundreds of thousands of boxes to families across the region.
Our story is rooted in people helping people. That hasn’t changed. What began at one kitchen table has become a region-wide movement, powered by volunteers, partners, and the belief that no one should face hunger alone.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
In 2017, a group of friends came together to help families facing hardship at Christmas. It started small, just a handful of boxes, packed and delivered with care. But word spread fast. That first year, over 700 households received Christmas food boxes.
The need was clear. So was the community’s willingness to respond.
By 2018, Feeding Families was registered as a charity, ready to grow, adapt, and meet the challenge.
We thought we were helping with sofas. But behind that, there were children with no food, no support, no safety net. That’s when we realised: this goes deeper.
Feeding Families Founder
GROWING WITH PURPOSE
For the first few years, Feeding Families focused on Christmas - one season, one goal. But everything changed in 2020. When Covid hit, families across the North East were plunged into crisis. And suddenly, the need wasn’t seasonal. It was urgent. It was everywhere.
We adapted fast. Using the same model of community-driven support, we began providing food all year round. From doorstep deliveries during lockdown to bulk shipments through trusted local partners, our work scaled up, without losing its heart.
This is when our unique partnership model was born:
- Food is packed centrally
- Delivered to frontline organisations - schools, GPs, housing providers, grassroots groups
- Distributed directly to people in need, without stigma or red tape
That model still powers our work today.
MILESTONES THAT MADE US
2017 – First 719 Christmas boxes delivered by volunteers
2018 – Feeding Families registers as a charity
2020 – Expands to year-round support during Covid
2021 – Opens first warehouse hub in Blaydon
2023 – Moves to larger premises to meet growing demand
2024 – Begins a new chapter with expanded partnerships
2025 – Development of strategic hubs across the region
2026 – New CEO and development of Regional Food Hub
Behind every milestone are the thousands of people who’ve packed, donated, shared, referred, or received a box, each one part of this story.
A LASTING LEGACY
Feeding Families has grown far beyond one person’s vision. While our founder played a vital role in shaping the charity’s early years, this is a collective effort - one that belongs to the communities we serve, the partners we trust, and the team that drives us forward every day.
As we enter a new phase, we’re committed to growing thoughtfully:
- Strengthening our local hubs
- Deepening our work with partners
- Offering more holistic support to families
- Ensuring long-term sustainability
Because food insecurity isn’t going away, and neither are we.
WHY WE'RE NEEDED
- A mum facing prosecution because she couldn’t feed her children
- A family cooking on broken-up pallets because there was no gas
- A tenant arriving to an empty home, with nothing to eat and no way to start again
For each of them, a food box wasn’t just about calories. It was care, choice and relief. And the start of something better.
“It’s not just food - it’s knowing someone sees you. That you matter. That help is there, without judgement.”
Recipient
WANT TO BE PART OF WHAT COMES NEXT?