Here2Help - help with food

If you are struggling to pay for food for yourself and your family, there are a number of options.

Help for all households

You may find using food apps a useful way of saving money with food bills.

The BBC have a useful guide to apps to help you cut food waste and save cash. 

Lots of supermarkets offer loyalty cards which give customers money off and Iceland also give 10% discounts to people over 60 (with ID) every Tuesday.

The Guardian has a useful guide to loyalty cards.

Help for low-income households

If you receive benefits or have a low income, your child may be eligible for free school meals.

Families with children in receipt of free school meals will receive a supermarket voucher for each child during the school holidays. This is being funded by the government’s Household Support Fund.

The scheme enables families to be able to purchase food over the holidays to replace the meals a child would have received during a school day. The voucher provides a great choice to families as they can be used in:

  • Asda
  • The Company Shop Group
  • Iceland
  • M&S
  • McColls
  • Morrison's
  • Sainsbury's
  • Tesco
  • Waitrose

If you have already registered your child and they are entitled to free school meals in Solihull, you will automatically receive your voucher and do not need to contact us.

Families who are in receipt of benefit-related free school meals are also eligible to book school aged children, from reception to year 11, into HAF funded activities. Activities are free to access and include enjoyable activities and a healthy meal.

They will run during Easter, summer, and Christmas school holidays.

Visit our HAF webpage.

If you’re more than ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

Visit the Healthy Start website

Help in an emergency

Foodbanks

A foodbank is for anyone in crisis, who does not have enough money to buy food for themselves or their family.

When you use a foodbank, you will be given enough food to feed yourself and your household for at least three days.

The following food banks in Solihull are supported by the Household Support Fund, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions:

Helping Hands is an emergency food bank service who can deliver emergency food parcels to those in crisis.

Food parcel delivery times are between 12.00pm-4.00pm Monday - Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.

How to access

Helping Hands work on a referral basis only, if you or someone you know need to access this service, please call Solihull Council on 0121 704 8001 to request a referral.

Smiths Wood

  • address: Auckland Hall, Smiths Wood, B36 9JR
  • open: Tuesdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Shard End

  • address: Welcome Change Community Centre, Ownall Road, Shard End, B34 7AJ
  • open: Thursdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Get in touch

How to access

Vouchers can be obtained through school support workers and agencies e.g.:

  • Birmingham Settlement on 0121 250 0765 or 0121 250 0777
  • Citizens Advice on 0808 2082 138
  • Community Advice Hub in Chelmsley Wood Library
  • Job Centre at Chelmsley Wood

Around Again provide food parcels to residents in North Solihull who are in crisis and are able to collect from their premises in Fordbridge.

Around Again

  • address: Junction, 100 Chapelhouse Road, Fordbridge, Solihull, B37 5HA
  • open: Tuesday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and Thursday from 10.00am to 1.00pm
  • website: www.colebridge.org
  • telephone: 0121 448 0720
  • email:enquiries@colebridge.org

How to access

Referrals should be made via support organisations such:

Please note that we can only accept referrals for North Solihull residents.

If an older person is experiencing any issues accessing food and needs support please contact Age UK Solihull on 0121 704 7840 or info@ageuksolihull.org.uk.