Get Help
Follow the steps
THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IS TO GET A REFERRAL FROM AN AGENCY.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation we work with local agencies. If you are struggling to put food on the table, they can issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency may also be able to provide long term support to help if required. Agencies we work with include: Citizens Advice, Exeter City Council, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.
Here are some useful numbers to get you started.
01
CONTACT THE REFERRAL AGENCY
They will discuss your situation and supply you with a voucher where appropriate. Look at the referral list and choose the most appropriate one for your situation
02
BRING YOUR E-REFERRAL CODE
Bring it along to your nearest foodbank centre or speak to the agency referring you about delivery. You can find a list of our local centres and opening times here.
03
BE WELCOMED
When you arrive, we’ll welcome you. We’ll ask for your referral number and you will be able to choose your food. We’ll also help to support you in any other ways that we can. Most of our foodbank centres offer a cafe style environment and our aim is to provide non-judgemental support.
Answers to your questions
If you have any further questions our FAQ’s page may help, or feel free to give us a call.
How Many Vouchers?
From September 1st 2026, we will be employing the following policy. Below, you will find a fuller explanation about how and why we are implementing this policy.
Exeter Foodbank Referral Policy (from September 1st 2026)
We want to offer transparency and clarity on this policy so that everyone is aware how we operate.
Foodbanks are here for times of emergency or crisis. Every single item that we receive is a donation. We are a charity that does not receive statutory funding and every tin or jar that we receive comes from someone who wants to help a neighbour who is facing difficult times.
1-3 vouchers:
Any household can hit a financial emergency. This can happen to anyone at any time. None of us know what each new day will bring.
86% of our referrals come for households who hit a crisis like this. They need to come to Exeter Foodbank once, twice or three times, then the crisis is over, they move on (more than 50% of our clients only attend once a year).
These referrals can come from a Health Visitor, a School Teacher, a Community Builder or a Church Minister etc. There are about 650 individuals working for 150 agencies who can make these referrals. But from September 1st 2026, any household can only receive three vouchers in a six-month period (from the date of the first referral) from most referrers.
4-5 vouchers
Approximately 11% of our clients have a deeper issue which means that they receive 4 or 5 vouchers in a six-month period. From September 1st onwards, only their local council (Exeter City Council Benefits Team and Welfare or East Devon District Council Benefits and Welfare Team) will be able to issue a 4th or 5th voucher to a client in that six-month period. There are two reasons for this.
Firstly, a local council will know more about the household than a local school, church or a health visitor. They will know if they are in receipt of benefits of if they receive free school meals etc. Your local council can offer a lot of help that many people don’t access – and we have wonderful relationships with these teams and know, firsthand, just how much help that they can give.
Secondly, the local council also has access to a fund called “The Crisis and Resilience Fund”. If a household suffers an unexpected financial ‘shock’, there may be help available.
Exeter Foodbank cannot offer long-term food support. The donations simply cannot withstand it. In ongoing difficulties, your local council are the primary source of help when it is a deeper issue.
The five vouchers (3+2) in a six-month period is the most general support that we can offer. Beyond that, it is important that households talk to their local council to see what help is available.
Emergency Bags (from September 1st 2026):
When a single person comes in for help from Exeter Foodbank, they may leave with £30+ worth of food to help them through a crisis. While we can accept these 3+2 referrals in a six-month period, we cannot continue to offer this level of support in the long term. However, we do not wish to see anyone go to bed hungry.
From September 1st, we will make very simple, pre-packed emergency bags available (these will have a value of approximately £3). These will require some level of cooking facilities. We cannot let people go without food. But we will encourage people to seek support from their local council. Foodbank is not the long-term answer to financial difficulties; only the correct support can make a difference.
Clarity
We want to share this with everyone who needs our help – and also with everyone who donates food or money to us. Holistic support is very important.
For our clients and our referrers, it is very important that we make absolutely clear the level of support that we are able to give.
For our donors, we feel that it is fair that they know exactly what they are donating to. We can see how much our donors want to help their ‘neighbour in need’.
Each year we give food, hospitality and welcome to thousands of people who are struggling. We are so grateful for every donor and referrer who goes to great length to help people in times of crisis. Thank you for helping us to keep this valuable work going.