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Luton Foodbank Newsletter – July 2025
Bringing you exciting events, community updates, and ways to get involved.
Thank You for Your Support
Thanks to your generosity, we distributed 1,168 food parcels in June—each containing five days’ worth of essential supplies. Families across all 20 wards of Luton received the support they needed.
Although donations increased slightly to 12,000 items, every contribution plays a crucial role in our fight against food poverty. Your kindness continues to make a real difference. Thank you.
Contents
A Helping Hand Through Hard Times
When a client was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced not only the emotional and physical toll of treatment but also the sudden financial strain of moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit (UC). The mandatory five-week wait for her first UC payment left her deeply anxious about managing day-to-day expenses.
To support her, we arranged a budgeting workshop through our Community Engagement Worker, referred her to Green Doctor for help with future utility costs, and connected her with One Call That’s All for emotional and practical support during her treatment. Throughout, we respected her request for complete confidentiality.
Reflecting on the support she received, she said,
“I felt like I was drowning, but knowing someone was there to listen and help made all the difference.”
Her story is a powerful reminder of how vital it is to provide compassionate, joined-up support when people are at their most vulnerable.
Luton Foodbank Colour Run 2025: A Resounding Success
Last Saturday, July 5th, Luton Foodbank’s annual Colour Run brought together over 600 supporters from across the community, raising an impressive £13,500 to provide food parcels for families during the summer holidays. This vital funding will ensure that children who rely on free school meals don’t go hungry when schools are closed.
The event, proudly headlined by VolkerHighways, was a vibrant display of community spirit, with participants showered in a rainbow of colours. Additional support came from Go Cars, Green Bridge Housing, Wizz Air, Noah Enterprise, Empowering Education, Luton Allstars FC, Two Bros Transport, Jewels by Nazish, and Luton Auto Factors, alongside strong participation from numerous local high schools. The High Sheriff, Camilla King, and Adrian Rogers, CEO of Chiltern Learning Trust, both praised the initiative for its community impact and focus on child well-being.
We celebrated notable achievements, including:
- Overall Winner: Ed Skinner from The Chalk Hill Academy
- Under-16 Winner: Abbie from Chiltern Academy
- Top Individual Fundraisers: Zidaan and Sumaiyah
- Top Fundraising Team: Wenlock Academy CE
- Biggest Team: Denbigh High School (with 80 participants!)
Thank you to our incredible sponsors:
- Headline Sponsor: Volker Highways
- Silver Sponsors: Go Cars, Wizz Air, Green Bridge Housing
- Bronze Sponsors: Empowering Education, Luton Allstars FC, Nazish Jewellers, Luton Auto Factors, NOAH, Two Bros Logistical and Transport
Primary School Colour Runs: Celebrating Our Champions!
This week, we proudly presented Downside Primary School with the Primary School Colour Run Champions trophy after they raised an incredible £7,048—a phenomenal achievement made possible by the generous support of the Downside community.
A huge thank you goes out to all the schools that took part in our Primary School Colour Run campaign. Your energy, enthusiasm, and commitment have helped make this initiative a fantastic success. Together, you’ve shown the power of community and the joy of giving back.
This campaign wouldn’t have been possible without the generous sponsorship of Luton Rising—thank you for helping us bring colour and fun to schools across the area!
Here’s a snapshot of the amazing contributions from our participating schools:
● Bushmead Primary – £726
● Chantry Primary Academy – £1,272
● Downside Primary – £7,048
● Surrey Street Primary – £1,000
● Warden Hill Junior – £1,428
● The Meads Primary – £1,500
Well done to everyone involved—we raised £13,000 so far and can’t wait to see what next year brings!
Sponsored by
Essential Skills Programme: Making a Real Impact
Our Essential Skills Programme was a great success! Participants enjoyed the practical sessions and shared valuable insights with one another. Learning and community truly go hand in hand. We delivered sessions at Empowering Education, Community Needs, and Surrey Street Primary. If you would like more information, get in touch or visit: Essential Skills – Luton FoodBank
About the Food Club Initiative: Launching Soon!
We are excited to announce the launch of our Food Club initiative on July 23rd! This new initiative offers affordable access to essential food items for families on working tax credit who may not be receiving free school meals.
It’s a membership-based system where you contribute a small amount to get significantly discounted groceries. You can choose 15 essential food items from a provided list for just £5 each week, helping your family stretch your budget and access nutritious food.
If you would like more information, get in touch or visit: https://lutonfoodbank.org.uk/food-club/
Young Ambassadors Celebration Event: A Day of Inspiration at Luton Town FC
What an incredible afternoon we had celebrating our amazing Young Ambassadors at Luton Town Football Club!
It was truly inspiring to see the impact of the programme, with ambassadors leading thoughtful, creative projects that not only tackled food insecurity but also helped them build essential life skills. The growth of the Young Ambassadors programme this year has been nothing short of phenomenal—with over 1,000 Bronze Ambassadors, 300+ Silver Ambassadors, and more than 100 Gold Ambassadors. These numbers reflect the talent, compassion, and commitment of young people across our schools.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the celebration, including the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Camilla King, Deputy Lieutenant Gordon Moules, and Jo Ward from Young Enterprise—your support means so much to our young leaders.
Speaking at the event, Gordon Moules, Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, said: “This is, without a doubt, one of the most impactful initiatives I’ve ever seen. It equips young people with real-life skills they will carry with them for a lifetime. Every town and city in the country should have a programme like this—it’s transformative, inspiring, and truly life-changing”
Special congratulations go out to the students from Challney High School for Boys, Challney High School for Girls, The Stockwood Park Academy, Chiltern Learning Trust, Pioneer Learning Trust, Putteridge High School, and The Raise Up Foundation for achieving Bronze, Silver, and Gold Ambassador status. Your dedication shone through, and we’re incredibly proud of everything you’ve accomplished.
Together, you’re helping to build a stronger, kinder, and hunger-free Luton—thank you!
You can sign up for September: https://lutonfoodbank.org.uk/young-ambassadors/
Thank You to Volunteers and Supporters: Garden Party at Luton Hoo Estate
We’re incredibly thankful for the generous in-kind support that made our Volunteer and Supporter Appreciation Event so memorable. A heartfelt thank you to Luton Hoo Walled Garden for graciously providing their stunning venue free of charge, creating the perfect backdrop for a day of celebration. We’re also immensely grateful to the Putteridge High School Jazz Band, whose uplifting and complimentary performance added a wonderful energy to the occasion.
Our sincere thanks also go to The Flower Girl for their beautiful floral donation, EasternTouch for their expert venue setup, and Grand Royale Banqueting for their generous support. A special mention to our talented photographers and videographers—Vasile Burla Photographer and visions2capture—for so beautifully capturing the spirit of the day. And a big thank you to Prestige_decorz for the delicious desserts and elegant setup that truly elevated the event.
Each and every contribution made a real impact, helping us honour and celebrate the incredible volunteers and supporters who make our work possible. We couldn’t have done it without you—thank you!
Eid Support from Islamic Relief and Madinah Masjid
This Eid Ul Adha, we were incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by our community partners. Islamic Relief funded an amazing 170kg of meat, along with 100 food parcels and 100 Eid gifts for families in need. These items were distributed by Luton Foodbank through local schools, helping to bring joy and comfort to many families during the festive period.
In addition, Madinah Masjid generously contributed a further 150kg of meat, extending the support even further. Together, these efforts helped ensure that families facing hardship could still enjoy a warm and meaningful Eid celebration.
We deeply appreciate the continued support from both Islamic Relief and Madinah Masjid for standing with us and the families we serve.
Holiday Hunger - Schools Update
We are here to help families and children with food parcels during the school holidays. It is a very simple and discreet process – please get in touch. We can also refer our families and children to Energise Camps.
Energise Luton Holiday Camps is Luton’s Holiday Activity and Food programme, funded by the Department for Education. It’s designed for school-age children up to 16 years old who are eligible for income-related free school meals. Learn more at: https://www.activeluton.co.uk/energise-luton-holiday-camps
Luton Foodbank Advisor Update
Our advisor can now refer to the ‘One Call That’s All’ pilot, funded by Utilita Giving, which offers a personalised support service through financial and material aid, and dedicated casework. Runi is also holding a referrer workshop to update clients on new initiatives she is involved in.
Luton Foodbank Staff Update
We are delighted to announce that Siani Bugtti will be joining our team as maternity cover for Dharmi Patel, our Office Coordinator. Dharmi is preparing for the wonderful arrival of twins in September, and we wish her all the very best during this exciting and special time.
Siani will be stepping into the role to ensure a smooth and seamless transition, and we’re confident that her experience and skills will be a valuable asset to the team.
Please join us in giving Siani a warm welcome!
Get Involved
Make a Donation
Help fund essential food parcels for individuals and families in crisis: Donate Here.
Volunteering
Join our amazing team of volunteers and make a real difference in your community: Sign up to Volunteer
Boost your Business while Giving Back to the Community
Partner with us to create lasting impact through sponsorship or corporate support: Learn More
Together, we can help ensure that no one in Luton goes hungry.
Thank You
Thank you for standing with us in the fight against food poverty. Every act of kindness brings us closer to a hunger-free Luton.