Emergency food support

Chorley Council

If you are in need of emergency food support, we may be able to refer you to our local food bank.

This is an emergency provision to support our most vulnerable residents in crisis. To ensure support can be given to those in need, you must satisfy the below criteria.

• you must demonstrate why you are in financial hardship and struggling
• you must demonstrate you are actively seeking support from other services for help
• no more than 8 referrals within 12 months, for repeat requests it is expected that you are accessing other forms of support to help your situation
• at least 1 month between referrals
• parcels are per household and should not be requested from more than 1 person who resides in the home. Evidence of proof of children residing in the home and proof of name/address may be requested
• food parcels must be collected within 1 week of referrals, this allows for 2 sessions available to collect either Tuesday or Friday

If you would like to request support, please call us on 01257 515151.

Please be aware that requests cannot be made to both this service and St Laurence's Church, it is one or the other.

There are other forms of support services listed below which you may also find helpful.

• Chorley Help the Homeless
• Chorley Buddies Good Food Club
• Chorley United Reform Church / The Hollinshead Centre
• St Laurence's Church
• Chorley Community Helpline

Chorley Help the Homeless

A drop in emergency food bank service is available.

Address: Matrix House, The Gateway, Friday Street, Chorley, PR6 0AA
Telephone: 01257 220077
Email: reception@chth.org.uk

Visit the Chorley Help the Homeless website.

On any emails, please include your name, the number of adults and children in your household and your telephone number.

Opening times:

• Monday 10am to 2pm
• Tuesday 10am to 2pm
• Thursday 10am to 2pm
• Friday 10am to 2pm

Chorley Buddies Good Food Club

You can access up to £25 worth of food supplies per week to help support you and your household for as little as £4 a week. 

5 venues are available with set weekly times for collections. Clubs also have a social activity with free refreshments.

Opening times:

A £10 lifelong membership fee is required on sign up.

If you would like to know more about membership and register, please contact Chorley Buddies by email to chorleybuddiesreferrals@svp.org.uk. Alternatively, you can call them on 01257 542367.

Chorley United Reform Church / The Hollinshead Centre

Small food parcels and vouchers, with more information available on the Chorley United Reform Church website.

• a free lunch is available at The Meeting Place, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am to 2pm
• a free hot take away meal is available on Thursdays, 5pm from the porch at the end of Byron Street.

If you would like to receive support, please contact community.minister@chorleyurc.org or you can call 01257 760066.

St Laurence's Church

A range of support is available from emergency food parcels to evening and lunchtime meal provision available every week Monday to Friday along with activity.

Emergency food parcels

For those who are unable to access other forms of food support and in urgent need of food, St Laurence's Church can provide emergency food parcels.

If you require this support please contact Chorley Council on 01257 515151 and ask to be referred for support. You cannot self-refer direct to St Laurence's Church. Once the referral is made, a St Laurence Church volunteer will contact you to arrange delivery.

Please note - due to the emergency nature of provision, to ensure that St Laurence's Church can continue providing food to those in urgent need in the long term, there is a cap on number of food parcels to a maximum of 8 every 12 months and that it has been at least 2 weeks since the last food parcel was received. 

Individuals can also be referred by other local charities and health services.

Open table - hot food provision

• every Monday 5pm till 5.30pm
• each Monday evening, join for a home-made main meal and pudding, served for you at the table
• tea, coffee and squash available.

Taste café

• every week - Tuesday to Friday, 11am to 2pm
• tea and coffee, squash, hot soup, rolls, a selection of cakes and fruit, all available inside St Laurence's Church
• 'pay what you can' basis, but donations not essential
• lego table and colouring stations available for children
• every Thursday join 'talking tables' from 11am.

Chorley Community Helpline

A number of voluntary, charity and faith groups in Chorley have come together to launch the Chorley Community Helpline.  

This free phone helpline will allow you to access emergency food support and assistance with shopping and prescription collection.

Telephone: 0800 368 8452