Cardiff Foodbank reflects on ten-year anniversary of supporting people in need

This month marks ten years of St. Mellons food bank distribution centre, providing a vital service to people in need by distributing food parcels to individuals and families in the community.

Part of Cardiff Foodbank, the distribution centre opened in February 2015. It is wholly run by volunteers and provides emergency food parcels and essentials to people in crisis, as well as signposting clients to areas of support such as debt and benefit advice.

Originally the food bank centre ran from a Cardiff Council community centre, but now the foodbank centre, which is open every Monday from 1pm to 3pm, operates in the Church of the Resurrection in Crickhowell Road, next to the Tesco Superstore.

Janet Chapman is the current volunteer team leader at St Mellons. She is responsible for maintaining adequate stock levels, as well as coordinating volunteer training, including food hygiene. Janet also ensures the food bank centre is sufficiently staffed by volunteers so that the centre opens every week.

Speaking about St Mellon’s food bank centre, Janet, said: “In 2024 we fulfilled 671 vouchers for 1,661 people. I’d like to think that the people I see each Monday leave us happier than when they came in and that we have given them a breathing space in what are often very difficult circumstances.”

Sadly, early figures in 2025 show no reduction in need. In February 2025, in one session alone, 26 vouchers were fulfilled to feed 55 people, 18 of whom were children.

It was a need to make a difference to the lives of people in food crisis in their community that sparked the opening of the food bank distribution centre ten years ago.

Speaking about what spurred the volunteers to set up a food bank centre in St Mellons as part of Cardiff Foodbank, Gill Barrett, one of the original group of volunteers, said:” It was a team effort. St Mellons food bank distribution centre was set up with around ten volunteers with additional help and support from the Rotary Club for the first few months.

“It was important for us to build a team in St Mellons to help anyone in the community with a food crisis. We wanted people to feel welcome and comfortable when entering the building to collect their food parcels.”

The volunteers say that there is no typical food bank user, and there are many factors that may mean people need the support of a food bank. The rising costs of living, family breakdowns, delays in benefits or sanctions, and unexpected emergencies such as car repairs can all push people into crisis.

Volunteer Chris Donoghue is keen that more people in the community know about the food bank centre and how it can help them but appreciates that some people may feel embarrassed about asking for help. She says they look for ways to publicise the food bank centre to the community while still ensuring that the food bank centre is a welcoming, safe space with no stigma. She said: “Apart from the sign outside on a Monday when we are open, there’s no indication we’re here; that’s why we use food drives as a way to tell people that we are here for them and how we can help them.”.

The food bank centre is not a walk-in service, as people need to have a voucher from a recognised referral agency to receive an emergency parcel. Currently there are more than 180 referral agencies operating in the city, in a wide range of sectors and locations, such as from Cardiff Council’s community hubs, housing associations, and a range of charities supporting homeless people.

The volunteers remain as committed to the food bank today as they were ten years ago. Reflecting on the impact that the volunteering has had for her personally, Chris, said:” Volunteering at the food bank makes me feel that I am supporting and listening to people in their time of need, which is rewarding. We have a great team of volunteers in St Mellons, and I have made new friends through volunteering for Cardiff Foodbank.”

Speaking about the ten-year anniversary of the centre, Cardiff Foodbank CEO, Rachel Biggs, said: “This anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect with pride on the real difference that St Mellons food bank centre has made to people’s lives in a time of crisis.

“The volunteers in the centre have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming space for clients, and we are immensely proud and grateful to all the volunteers over the years for their commitment, compassion, and professionalism.

“Cardiff Foodbank runs eight foodbank centres, and we will provide emergency food to people in need in Cardiff for as long as we are needed. Food banks can be a lifeline, but they are not a long-term solution because hunger is not a food problem; it’s an income problem, and that is why we work with other organisations to campaign for change.”