Thank you for supporting the West Somerset Food Cupboard 
by donating food items for local distribution.

If we could request the following items that are most needed, we would be very grateful.

• UHT Milk 1 litre
• Crisps and Savoury Snacks
• Pasta ‘n’ Sauce sachets & Rice Sachets
• Cup a Soups
• Savoury Crackers
• Hotdogs, Meatballs or Corned Beef tins
• Pasta Sauce or Curry Sauce

No fresh, chilled, frozen, damaged, out-of-date or home-made items please!
Please do not leave open or out of date items in our collection boxes.

We try and include items in our packs that will allow people that may find themselves homeless or in temporary accommodation the opportunity to have as varied a diet as possible.

Thank you as always, nothing ever gets wasted. If you can offer some alternative diet items that would also be great. We have suddenly had a demand for gluten free and dairy free produce, and we are currently supporting a number of families with these requirements.

Items can be dropped on at one of numerous drop off locations…

If you ever are unsure what you would like to donate or feel unsure that what you are donating is useful, we are always grateful for monetary donations too which is another way that you could help. You can be sure that the money will go towards projects that will offer further food support to the community.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your incredible support with our Easter donations this year.

Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to distribute Easter eggs to all our pantry members, as well as the agencies we support. This simply would not have been possible without the kindness and commitment shown by our community.

We are especially grateful to our local supermarkets for their generous donations, and to Webbers Estate Agents and Amanda Louise Funeral Directors for kindly collecting eggs on our behalf.

Your support has made a real difference, and we are truly appreciative of everything you have contributed.

Like all hard-working organisations, our work must continue. With the world becoming increasingly uncertain, rising food prices, and growing pressure on household budgets, it is more important than ever that we keep going to ensure no one in Minehead goes hungry. Your support is needed now more than ever.

Wishing you all the best from the team at WSFC

How wonderful is it to see the daffodils flowering and some Spring weather after all that rain.

We have had a busy start to the year and after such fantastic support building up to Christmas we were able to start the year with bursting cupboards. Thank you so much to everyone that donated during this time. We sent out over 190 Christmas bags, packed with a wonderful selection of Christmas products and food staples. We had the most amazing response from recipients, so thank you, you really did make a difference.

And the donations have continued…

Following the Christmas celebrations, Butlins found themselves with an excess of chocolate. Thankfully they thought of us and kindly donated over 500 boxes of Christmas selection boxes in the New Year and we have been busy distributing these via all our wonderful agencies to ensure that families that don’t usually get the special treat of chocolate can spoil themselves. Thank you Butlins for thinking of us and not letting this excess from Christmas go to waste. Every box has been very gratefully received.

We also received a generous donation of pancake mix for Shrove Tuesday from Morrisons. We were able to provide the opportunity for all our Pantry members to participate in the joy of making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Thank you to Chris the manager for your support with this.

This Month’s Shortages

Any non-perishable food items are always gratefully received:

• UHT Milk 1 litre
• Hotdogs, Meatballs or Corned Beef tins
• Fray Bentos Pies
• Cup a Soups
• Tinned Potatoes/Sachets of Instant Potato
• Squash and Fruit Juice
• Individual desserts-jellies, fruit, rice puddings
• Jam, Marmalade or spreads
• Sugar
• Pasta ‘n’ Sauce sachets & Rice Sachets
• Tinned Carrots

We cannot accept open or out of date items. Please do not leave these items in our collection boxes.

Easter is fast approaching and we would like to ensure all our families can receive the treat of an Easter Egg at this time. Please can I ask that you add an extra egg to our donation baskets at Easter time.

A lovely treat for our Pantry members!

Linda, our fantastic volunteer, has been busy in the kitchen and kindly cooked her family’s apple cake recipe which dates back 50 years. This special recipe has been used over the years for celebration days for the Dunster Orchard and the pantry members got to taste the cake and take away the ingredients and the recipe.

WSFC attends Connects Minehead

What a fantastic morning Sara our Team Leader had at Amicus Law’s recent business breakfast networking event, Minehead Connects, held at The Beach Hotel. We’d like to thank Amicus Law Solicitors for organising the event and inviting us along. It was a great opportunity to network with other local organisations and strengthen community connection.

Are you looking for a Charity Trustee role?

We’re inviting applications for a Treasurer Trustee to join our friendly and committed board, as our current Treasurer, Su Sharrocks, prepares to step down after more than two years in the role. “We are incredibly grateful for the strong foundations that Su has helped put in place,” said Katrina Midgley, Chair of Trustees. “As demand for our services continues to grow, appointing a new Treasurer will help ensure we can continue supporting local people safely and sustainably.”

How to apply: If you’re interested in becoming a Treasurer Trustee, please get in touch for an informal conversation: info@wsfoodcupboard.org.uk or phone: 07795 080637.

Other ways you can support us

Sign up to EasyFundraising – We already have 35 amazing supporters and have raised over £618  this way– every penny helps so please sign up. Over 4,000 retailers will make a donation when you shop through @easyfundraising, at no extra cost to you. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/west-somerset-food-cupboard/

We’re proud to be part of the @coopuk Local Community Fund. To support us please go to: membership.coop.co.uk/causes/97711 We will receive a % of their profits one of their chosen charities.

Thank you for your support in 2026

The charity supports individuals and families across West Somerset who are experiencing food insecurity, providing essential food supplies and practical support to people facing financial hardship. Like many local charities, demand for support has increased significantly during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

The Treasurer Trustee plays a vital role in helping the charity remain financially sustainable, providing oversight of finances and supporting long-term planning to ensure funds are used effectively to support the local community.

Su Sharrocks, a qualified accountant, joined West Somerset Food Cupboard shortly after moving to the area and was keen to use her professional skills to give back locally.

Su said “When we moved to the area, I was looking for a way to get involved in the local community and meet people. I’d done voluntary work before, but West Somerset Food Cupboard was the first charity I actively chose to join. As a qualified accountant, using my finance skills felt like the best way to contribute.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to be involved with a young charity and help put some of the building blocks in place for the future, from setting up QuickBooks and submitting the charity’s first Gift Aid claim, to supporting staff with day-to-day financial processes. I’ve met a fantastic group of trustees, staff and volunteers, all deeply committed to helping others.

“It’s a very welcoming community, so much so that my family got involved too. My husband and daughter will continue volunteering, but it feels like the right time for me to step aside and let someone new take on the Treasurer role.”

West Somerset Food Cupboard welcomes applications from all backgrounds, but is particularly keen to hear from individuals with finance, accountancy or previous treasurer experience. No prior trustee experience is required.

“We are incredibly grateful for the strong foundations that Su has helped put in place,” said Katrina Midgley, Chair of Trustees. “As demand for our services continues to grow, appointing a new Treasurer will help ensure we can continue supporting local people safely and sustainably.”

How to apply

Anyone interested in becoming a Treasurer Trustee is encouraged to get in touch for an informal conversation.

• Application deadline: end March 2026
• Contact: email: info@wsfoodcupboard.org.uk or phone: 07795 080637

We welcome all applications but are particularly interested in hearing from individuals who have experience in a treasurer role and/or finance/accountancy skills.

If you are interested please email info@wsfoodcupboard.org.uk

Thank you for supporting the West Somerset Food Cupboard 
by donating food items for local distribution.

If we could request the following items that are most needed, we would be very grateful.

• UHT Milk 1 litre
• Tins of meat-minced beef, casserole
• Hotdogs & Meatballs
• Fray Bentos Pies
• Corned Beef
• Tinned Potatoes – small & large
• Sachets of Instant Potato Mash
• Squash and Fruit Juice
• Individual Puddings-jellies, fruit, rice puddings
• Jam, Marmalade or spreads
• Sugar
• Instant Pasta Sachets
• Small tins of beans or spaghetti

No fresh, chilled, frozen, damaged, out-of-date or home-made items please!

We try and include items in our packs that will allow people that may find themselves homeless or in temporary accommodation the opportunity to have as varied a diet as possible.

Thank you as always, nothing ever gets wasted. If you can offer some alternative diet items that would also be great. We have suddenly had a demand for gluten free and dairy free produce, and we are currently supporting a number of families with these requirements.

Items can be dropped on at one of numerous drop off locations…

If you ever are unsure what you would like to donate or feel unsure that what you are donating is useful, we are always grateful for monetary donations too which is another way that you could help. You can be sure that the money will go towards projects that will offer further food support to the community.

I don’t know if you are like me, but I always feel slightly relieved when January is out of the way, and we are slowly heading closer to longer days and warmer weather. Let’s hope it stops raining soon. 

I hope all is well with you all, we have had a busy start with the year with lots of activity to get all the generous donations out to the families so we can continue the strong support we showed running up to Christmas. Thank you as always for your support.

You will over the next few weeks see that we are advertising for a new Treasurer Trustee role. If anyone feels they have the skills required for the role and would like to consider becoming a Trustee of this wonderful charity, please do contact me and I can put you in touch with our chairman to find out more. We would be very grateful of the support for this vital role. 

If I can take this opportunity to remind you all that they are many ways to support us as well as with donations and one way that could make a big difference this year is by signing up for a Co-op reward card. If you register for their loyalty card and select us as your chosen charity we will receive a share of the profits of Co-op at the end of the year. This money would help with our ever-increasing running costs and increase the opportunities we can offer to the community we support. https://www.coop.co.uk/membership

Please take a moment to have a look with this link:    https://www.coop.co.uk/membership

Also, whilst you are on the computer, can I ask that you consider looking at the easy fundraising website too, we are currently receiving money this way by people supporting us when they shop online. This doesn’t cost you anything extra and the money comes directly from the companies you are purchasing through.  We have managed to receive over £600 this way so far, this financial year and that is from 32 supporters. Imagine how much we could receive if every one of our friends and supporters adopted us as their chosen charity for 2026. Please help us to increase our funds in whatever way you can.  https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk

Wishing you all the best from the team at WSFC

Thank you for supporting the West Somerset Food Cupboard 
by donating food items for local distribution.

If we could request the following items that are most needed, we would be very grateful.

• Tinned Fish
• Tins of meat-minced beef, casserole
• Hotdogs & Meatballs
• Fray Bentos Pies
• Corned Beef
• Tinned Potatoes – small & large
• Sachets of Instant Potato Mash
• Squash and Fruit Juice
• Individual drink cartons – 200ml
• Individual Puddings-jellies, fruit, rice puddings
• Sugar
• Crackers/Breadsticks
• UHT Milk 1 litre

No fresh, chilled, frozen, damaged, out-of-date or home-made items please!

We try and include items in our packs that will allow people that may find themselves homeless or in temporary accommodation the opportunity to have as varied a diet as possible.

Thank you as always, nothing ever gets wasted. If you can offer some alternative diet items that would also be great. We have suddenly had a demand for gluten free and dairy free produce, and we are currently supporting a number of families with these requirements.

Items can be dropped on at one of numerous drop off locations…

If you ever are unsure what you would like to donate or feel unsure that what you are donating is useful, we are always grateful for monetary donations too which is another way that you could help. You can be sure that the money will go towards projects that will offer further food support to the community.

As we welcome the New Year, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported the Food Bank during the run-up to Christmas. Thank you to your kindness, nearly 200 bags were given out, and they were all packed full of great food for people and families in our community.

We’re so grateful for every donation, every volunteer, and every kind word of support. Your generosity really did make a difference, I wasn’t sure how I was going to deliver what we needed at the beginning of October because our cupboards were so low, but the community really did come together, and the generosity was unbelievable. We now head into the New Year with real strength and the work continues, so thank you for being part of it.

Wishing you all the best from the team at WSFC

It’s that time of year again when we’re all getting ready for Christmas. Here at WSFC, we’re busier than ever collecting donations in the community and packing Christmas food bags, set to be distributed on 11th December to our agencies and support groups in time for people to stock their cupboards and plan for their big day!

Big hearted Miles Tea & Coffee provides a year’s supply of tea, coffee and hot chocolate to us

We’re delighted that Miles Tea & Coffee has joined forces with us to provide a year’s supply of tea and coffee for our emergency food bags, making a sustainable social impact in the local community of West Somerset where it has a production site in Minehead. We’re especially proud to be partnering with such a well-loved local business, a real example of local heritage supporting local people.

Refurbished laptop donated by Computers4Charity

We’re so grateful to Computers4Charity who donated a refurbished laptop to us at their Tech 4 Reuse event. The refurbished laptop will help us to continue our work in managing referrals and coordinating volunteers faster, getting help to families when it matters most.

We’re proud to be part of the @coopuk Local Community Fund. To support us please go to membership.coop.co.uk/causes/97711

Linda’s homemade breads delight pantry members

One of our amazing volunteers, Linda, cooked two delicious breads for our Pantry members — parsnip, parmesan & sage and butternut squash, cheddar & rosemary. These recipes matched the ingredients available in the Pantry that week, and members also received a recipe card so they can try them at home!

Tesco FareShare campaign delivers big results

We were thrilled to take part in the Tesco FareShare campaign on 27-29 November, both with food donations and with volunteering to pack bags. The weekend was a great success with our team of volunteers helping in store and over 400kg of food being donated by the community over 4 days. What a brilliant team effort: we can’t thank everyone enough, especially Tesco/Fareshare for hosting the event. We can ensure you nobody will be going hungry this Christmas thanks to you.

This Month’s Shortages

Any non-perishable food items are always gratefully received:

• Tinned Vegetables
• Tinned Fish
• Tins of meat-minced beef, casserole
• Hotdogs & Meatballs
• Fray Bentos Pies
• Corned Beef
• Tinned Potatoes – small & large
• Sachets of Instant Potato Mash
• Squash and Fruit Juice
• Individual drink cartons-200ml
• Individual Puddings-jellies, fruit, rice puddings
• Sugar
• Crackers/Breadsticks
• UHT Milk 1 litre

We cannot accept open or out of date items. Please do not leave these items in our collection boxes.

Generosity from our Local Community

A huge thank you to local growers and supermarkets that help keep our Pantry going week to week:

• Porlock Allotments and Orchard
• Plowright Organic
• Alcombe Co-op
• Lidl Minehead
• Richard Little Butchers
• Deane Barton Free Range Eggs
• and other generous donations from within the community

A big shout-out also goes to:

• The Dunster and Porlock Community Orchard …. for donating 100 bottles of apple juice – a really delicious and truly local addition to our Christmas food bags.
• Poundland Minehead … for all their food collections which has made a significant boost for our emergency food bags and Pantry members.
• Generous food donations from the local WI, who also recently invited us to talk about WSFC’s activities and work in the community.
• Beautiful Christmas food donations from the Lion’s Club and our Rotary organisation.

Fundraising on Black Friday!

On Black Friday we asked supporters to help us for FREE by registering with easyfundraising. Over 4,000 retailers donate when you shop through @easyfundraising at any time of year – at no extra cost to you! All it takes is to sign up, use the app when you shop, and you’ll be helping support our work every time you buy something online. Please sign up at: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/west-somerset-food-cupboard. Why not add donation reminder to your device and you’ll never miss an opportunity to donate: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/donation-reminder/chrome/update/.

We have increased our supporters from 19 to 30 since that weekend and we have raised over £500 so far, so please try and join if you can, it really does make a difference.

Thank you for all your incredible support during 2025

Things are starting to get busy with preparations for Christmas. We’re so grateful for the generous harvest festival donations we have received—thank you for helping us keep our shelves stocked! Even though we are looking ahead to December the last couple of months have been so positive.

Generosity from our Local Community –

We are very grateful to Minehead & West Somerset Hockey Club who donated the money from their Summer League charity event to us and also Exmoor Search and Rescue. Two great causes in West Somerset!

We were also thankful to Amanda-Louise Funeral Services for their generous donations and support. 
And over the moon to have received £600 from Asda’s Foodbank Fundamentals grant funding to help provide emergency food. Our volunteers and the local community know that food poverty can affect any of us through unexpected challenges in our lives and we can all feel an extra confidence in the charity’s ability to support people in difficulties.

West Somerset Food Cupboard is now part of the @coopuk Local Community Fund. To support us please download the Co-op App, and become a member and choose our cause, so we can receive a share of £5m.

This Month’s Shortages

Any non-perishable food items are always gratefully received:

• Tinned Hot or Cold Meat
• Tinned Potatoes or Sachets of Instant Potato Mash
• Breadsticks/crackers
• Porridge Pots
• Pasta Sauce & Cooking Sauces
• Squash and Fruit Juice Cartons
• Individual Puddings (small)
• UHT Milk 1 litre
• Sugar

Christmas Donations

This month we are planning for Christmas so would love donations of:

• Christmas Treats – Chocolates, Christmas Puddings, Fruit Cakes, Christmas biscuits
• Pickles, chutneys cranberry sauce
• Gravy Granules, Stuffing Packets, Bread Sauce Sachets.
• Christmas Biscuits/Chocolate Assortment Packs
• Crisps & Nuts
• Chocolate Selection Packs or Sweets
• Cheese Crackers/Savoury Biscuits
• Tins of cold meat

We cannot accept open or out of date items. Please do not leave these items in our collection boxes.

The Local Pantry continues to provide fresh nutritious food. Around 15 items of fresh food for £4.50 per week. Sign up for a 6 month membership.

West Somerset Food Cupboard is looking for new board members to help us continue our work to provide free emergency food parcels and affordable surplus food to those who need it most. If you’re interested in helping please get in touch for an initial chat.

Gift Aid Helps us Increase your Donation by 25%. When one of our regular donors completed a Gift Aid form recently we were able to back claim more than £200 in gift aid for their previous donations. Amazing! Even for a one-off gift if you are able to gift aid the donation we get the extra amount from HMRC at no cost to you. If you need a Gift Aid form please ask one of the team or email su.sharrocks@wsfoodcupboard.org.uk

Thank you, everyone—together we really are making a real difference!

Wishing you all the best from the team at WSFC

Christmas is Coming!

As we look ahead to Christmas, things are starting to get wonderfully busy with preparations. We’re so grateful for the generous harvest festival donations already received—thank you for helping us keep our shelves stocked!

This is the time of year when we aim to fill our cupboards so we can confidently deliver as many Christmas parcels as possible to families who need them most. Every contribution, big or small, helps us spread joy and comfort during the festive season.

This month’s wanted items list also includes a few festive treats. If you’re able to gift long-dated Christmas goodies (best before Dec 2025 or later), we can safely store them ready for our Christmas packing. And if anyone in our community is unsure what to give, please encourage them to consider a monetary donation—it goes a long way in helping us provide for local families.

Together, we can make this Christmas brighter for so many.

This December, we’re planning to share a festive mixed bag of goodies with our families. Alongside the everyday essentials like tea, coffee, pasta, and rice, we’ll be adding some Christmas favourites—gravy granules, tinned vegetables, stuffing, bread sauce, and of course, the much-loved jar of cranberry sauce!

If there’s something you personally enjoy at Christmas, please consider popping an extra jar or tin into the donation bin for us. Together, we can help make Christmas dinner that little bit more special for everyone in our community.

Thank you so much for your continued support!

This Month’s Shortages

If you can help with donations this month, these are the items we are in most need of:

• Pot Noodles / Cuppa Soup
• Tinned Fish & Meat – tuna, mackerel, sardines, corned beef, ham, meat paste
• Tinned Potatoes – small & large
• Sachets of Instant Potato Mash
• Small packets of mini cheddars/breadsticks
• Porridge Pots
• Tins of Pulses
• Tins of Tomatoes
• Squash and Fruit Juice Cartons
• Individual Puddings – jellies, fruit, rice puddings
• Tinned Tomatoes – small & large
• UHT Milk 1 litre
• Sugar
• Biscuits
• Long Life Christmas Treats – Chocolates, Christmas Puddings, Fruit Cakes, biscuits, pickles and cranberry sauce

We cannot accept open or out of date items. Please do not leave these items in our collection boxes.

Pantry Update

Yesterday I had the privilege of running the pantry for Alex, and it was truly heartwarming to see just how delighted our members were to receive such a generous and healthy selection of goodies.

Thanks to the kindness of our community and supported charities, we were able to provide nearly every member with a rib-eye steak, along with fresh homegrown vegetables—including potatoes, beans, and cauliflowers—most of which had been lovingly donated. To top it off, we shared a wonderful selection of cooking and eating apples, ensuring plenty of full and happy tummies across the community last night.

Moments like these remind us how much of a difference your support makes. Every donation, no matter how small, goes directly towards bringing joy and nourishment to our neighbours.

Thank you, everyone—together we really are making a real difference!

Wishing you all the best from the team at WSFC

Sara Trigg, Team Leader at West Somerset Food Cupboard said,

“We are so grateful to the Asda Foundation. Our emergency food bags provide meals for a family for up to four days, they include a selection of non-perishable goods, ranging from tea and coffee to tinned meat, vegetables, pasta and rice, supporting those in greatest need of good nutrition. The bags are not identical, as we try to use whatever has been donated, but occasionally we purchase food to cater for allergies or special dietary requirements. People on low incomes struggle to afford these more expensive items, so this grant will help us to meet their needs.”

“Our volunteers and the local community know that food poverty can affect any of us through unexpected challenges in our lives and we can all feel an extra confidence in the charity’s ability to support people in difficulties. This grant will make a difference for the community in which we serve.”

Karl Doyle, Chair of the Asda Foundation commented,

“Foodbanks and local food organisations provide support to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities when they are facing hard times. We know that they are a lifeline service to many, often facing high demand with the added pressure of shortages in donations and volunteers. We hope this Asda Foundation funding can support their needs in the final months of the year.”