Place To Be Proud Of Awards 2026

A community institution serving the people of Basingstoke since 2012, and a very well-deserved finalist in this year’s Community Project category. At its heart, the Foodbank does something simple and profound: it ensures that people in our community do not go without food. But look a little closer, and what you find is an operation of remarkable scale, complexity, and human warmth. Operating from a central warehouse in Houndmills, the Foodbank supplies collection centres across the borough — in the town centre, Tadley, Winklebury, Brighton Hill, Sarum Hill, Buckskin, and Popley. For those who cannot get to a centre, daily home deliveries are made directly to the door. Referrals come through Citizens Advice, GPs, and social services, and every parcel is nutritionally balanced and tailored to individual need. None of it would be possible without the volunteers. Van drivers, warehouse packers, centre staff, and delivery drivers — coordinated across rotas planned three months in advance — all give their time freely and consistently, week in, week out. Walk into the office above the warehouse and you will find three large boards covered in names, a quiet testament to just how many people it takes to keep this running. But Basingstoke Foodbank is about far more than food. At every centre, volunteers offer a warm welcome, a cup of tea, and a genuinely listening ear. Citizens Advice advisors are on hand, and clients are connected to support with benefits, debt, energy costs, and beyond. Nobody is judged. Everybody is helped. For over a decade, Basingstoke Foodbank has been there for individuals, families, and people of all ages — turning up, every single day, for the people who need it most.