About Perth and Kinross Foodbank
Supporting people across Perth and Kinross with dignity, compassion and practical support since 2013.
Established by local churches and shaped by the needs of our communities, Perth and Kinross Foodbank has evolved from an emergency response into a relational, person-centred service built around empathy, choice and connection.
Our Story
Perth and Kinross Foodbank was established in 2013 when local churches came together with a shared desire to support people across Perth and Kinross experiencing hardship and food poverty.
What began as a small community response has grown and evolved alongside the changing needs of the people coming through our doors.
Over the years, the foodbank has had several homes, most notably in Cutlog Vennel in Perth City Centre, before opening the doors to our current premises at York Place in June 2024.
In our first year, Perth and Kinross Foodbank distributed 345 emergency food parcels, supporting 425 adults and 132 children.
By 2025, this had grown to 4,546 emergency food parcels, supporting 6,171 adults and 2,561 children – a total of 8,732 people across Perth and Kinross.
As our communities have changed, so too has our approach.
Moving to York Place provided an opportunity not only to create a new home, but to rethink how support is delivered. For the first time, we were able to design a foodbank around the needs of the people using it and the values that guide our work.
This marked a significant shift towards a more relational model of support.
We moved away from pre-packed parcels and created space for conversations over packing lists, tailoring support around cooking facilities, dietary requirements, allergies and individual circumstances.Today, Perth and Kinross Foodbank is more than emergency food.
We are a safe, accessible, trauma-informed and inclusive place of support, care and compassion.
Through dignity, empathy and meaningful conversations, we aim to understand what has brought someone to us, recognize the challenges they are facing and connect people with wider support where appropriate. We remain committed to listening, learning and evolving alongside our communities, ensuring that people are not only fed, but heard, valued and supported.
Our Mission
Perth and Kinross Foodbank provides an empathetic safe space where everyone is heard and no-one goes hungry.
Through compassion, community and collaboration we provide practical support, connection and dignity for people facing hardship.
Our Mission
A community where no-one faces crisis alone.
Empathy
Serving with compassion and ensuring people feel heard, valued and supported.
Community
Creating welcoming spaces where everyone matters.
Commitment
Being dependable, responsive and continually improving.
Collaboration
Working together with communities, partners and supporters.
How We Support
Behind every parcel is a wider story – a person, a household and circumstances that deserve to be understood.
Immediate Support
Emergency food parcels and essentials for people facing crisis.
Relational Support
Time for conversation, understanding and person-centred support.
System Stewardship
Working with communities and partners to respond to hardship and strengthen longer-term support.
We meet people where they are, operating at their pace.
Dignity Through Choice, Voice and Time
Opening York Place in 2024 marked more than a move of premises. It created an opportunity to intentionally design a foodbank around the needs of people and the values that guide our work..
Choice
Tailoring support around dietary requirements, allergies, cooking facilities and individual circumstances.
Voice
Creating space for conversation and ensuring people feel heard without judgement.
Time
Taking time to understand circumstances and support people at their pace.
Moving to York Place represented a significant shift in how we operate.
We moved away from pre-packed parcels towards a more relational model rooted in empathy, compassion and dignity.
We have not looked back.
A Safe Place of Support, Care and Compassion
Today, Perth and Kinross Foodbank is a safe, accessible, trauma-informed and inclusive space. Food parcels are thoughtfully prepared according to individual need, but often the conversations held alongside them are equally important.
We create space to understand what has brought someone to us and, where appropriate, help connect people with wider support that may address the underlying causes of food insecurity. Our approach is non-judgemental. We stand alongside people and communities where they are, operating at their pace and recognising that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have.
We meet people where they are, operating at their pace.
Powered by Community
Perth and Kinross Foodbank is powered by community. Behind every food parcel, donation, conversation and act of support is a network of people choosing to stand alongside one another during difficult times. Our Foodbank Family includes volunteers, churches, schools, businesses, community groups, donors, referral partners and local organisations who make this work possible.
Together, they help keep cupboards full, conversations open and dignity at the heart of everything we do. From food donations and fundraising to volunteering time, sharing skills and building partnerships, every contribution strengthens our ability to respond when people need us most. The Foodbank Family is built on empathy, kindness and a shared belief that no-one should face crisis alone. Because Perth and Kinross Foodbank is not created by one team or one building. It is created by a community coming together.
Food insecurity is rarely just about food.
Our Partnership with Trussell
Perth and Kinross Foodbank is part of the wider Trussell community of foodbanks working towards a future where no-one needs emergency food to survive.
Being part of Trussell connects us to national learning, research, training, resources and advocacy, while allowing us to remain deeply rooted in the needs of Perth and Kinross.
This partnership strengthens our ability to respond to local hardship, share insight and contribute to wider conversations around poverty and food insecurity.
While our support is delivered locally, we are part of a wider movement committed to creating lasting change.
Our People
Behind every parcel is a team of people choosing to show up with empathy, compassion and care.
Staff Team
Our staff team provides leadership, coordination and day-to-day delivery across the foodbank.
Together they support operations, partnerships, volunteers, community engagement and wider development work, ensuring people accessing support receive a compassionate and dignified experience.
Lori Hughes Foodbank Manager
Lynn-Marie Neil Service Coordinator
Moira Gibson Volunteer Coordinator
C’Jai Hamilton Navigator, Financial Inclusion Project
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Finance Officer
Compassionate support beyond the parcel.
Trustees
Our Trustees provide governance, oversight and strategic direction for the organisation.
They help ensure Perth and Kinross Foodbank remains accountable, sustainable and focused on delivering its mission and vision.
Steven Robb Chairman
Philip Cooper Treasurer
Karen Nichol Secretary
Kat Buchanan Trustee
Michael Marley Trustee
Together, We’re Changing Lives
50+
volunteers across the organization
6,395+
volunteer hours contributed in 2025
13 Years
of service from some founding volunteers
Volunteers
From welcoming clients and preparing parcels to warehouse support, administration, fundraising and community engagement, volunteers help create the calm, compassionate and dignified experience people encounter when they visit us.
Today, around 50 volunteers support the foodbank in different ways. Some give their time every week, others fortnightly, while many step forward around family life, work and other commitments.
Together, they form an important part of our Foodbank Family.
Several volunteers have been with us since Perth and Kinross Foodbank was established in 2013, meaning they have supported the organisation and our communities for over 13 years – an incredible commitment and reflection of the compassion that sits at the heart of our work.
In 2025 alone, volunteers contributed more than 6,395 hours of their time.
Every hour given, every parcel packed and every conversation held helps ensure people facing hardship are met with empathy, dignity and kindness.
We simply could not do what we do without them.
Looking Forward
Looking Ahead
While we provide immediate support, we know food insecurity is rarely just about food. We remain committed to listening, learning and evolving in response to community need. Through compassion, dignity and partnership, we continue working towards a future where no-one faces crisis alone.
Every act of kindness helps keep our doors open. Whether you donate food, funds, time or skills, you are part of the Foodbank Family.