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Luton Foodbank Newsletter – June 2025
Bringing you exciting events, community updates, and ways to get involved.
Thanks to your generosity, we distributed 1,302 food parcels in May-each containing five days’ worth of essential supplies. Families across all 20 wards of Luton received the support they needed.
Although donations dipped slightly to 11,000 items, every contribution plays a crucial role in our fight against food poverty. Your kindness continues to make a real difference. Thank you.
Contents
Case Study: A Refugee Mother’s Journey
From Struggle to Support
In May 2025, we met a young mother who had recently been granted refugee status. Having come to the UK as a student, she now faced life with a newborn, a toddler, and a husband still awaiting his asylum outcome. With no income and limited support, survival was a daily struggle.
We stepped in with food, fuel, baby supplies, and financial support. We connected her with Migrant Help for legal aid and with the local council for housing guidance. Bengali language support helped her feel truly seen.
“I’m so grateful. Without your help, I wouldn’t have known where to go.”
Behind every case like this is a family trying to rebuild. Your support allows us to walk with them—not just offering aid, but restoring hope.
Luton Colour Run – Saturday 5 July, 9am | Wardown Park
Registration extended: Monday 16 June at 12 noon
Get ready to make some noise, Luton.
Led by former High Sheriff Bav Shah, this year’s run aims to bring together 1,000 participants to raise funds for families facing holiday hunger.
This isn’t just a run—it’s a fun-filled, colourful 5K featuring music, bubbles, and prizes.
Entry Fee:
• £20 (Adults) | £15 (Under-16s) – covers the cost of one food parcel
Register by Monday 16 June at 12pm to receive:
• Free sunglasses
• Official Colour Run T-shirt
• Participation medal
Prizes include:
• Overall, Winner
• Fastest Under-16
• Highest Sponsorship (Individual and School)
• Biggest Team
• Colour Run Superstar Award
Sign up: tinyurl.com/ColourRun25
Prefer to donate instead? justgiving.com/campaign/colour25
Thank you to our 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 Boros Logistical and Transport
Health Fest!
Join Community Interest Luton from 12–3pm in the park for free health checks, including blood pressure and diabetes screenings. The first 50 people to complete a short survey and take part in the checks will receive a free entry to the Love Luton Run Fest this October!
Primary School Colour Run
A huge thank you to the 12 schools who have joined our Colour Run campaign—made possible by our sponsor, Luton Rising:
- Beech Hill Primary
- Beechwood Primary
- Bushmead Primary
- Chantry Primary Academy
- Crawley Green Infant
- Downside Primary
- Farley Junior Academy
- Surrey Street Primary
- Warden Hill Junior
- The Meads Primary
- Whitefield Primary
- Putteridge Primary
Sponsored by
Essential Skills Programme
A great success. Participants enjoyed the practical sessions and shared valuable insights with one another. Learning and community go hand in hand.
Young Ambassador Programme
This year, 1,000 children took part in the Young Ambassador Programme. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Gold Ambassadors next month at Luton Town FC.
Thank you to the following schools for your involvement:
- Challney High School for Girls
- Stockwood Academy
- Lea Manor High School
- Downside Primary School
- Chiltern Academy
- Putteridge High School
You can sign up for September: Sign up
Every Child Smiles – Spreading Joy in Our Community
This month Every Child Smiles brought happiness to hundreds of children and families through community collaboration.
- In partnership with Inspire FM, we provided 500 ride tokens and toys to families across local primary schools, bringing joy to young children.
- Thanks to the generosity of Madinah Masjid, we distributed meat vouchers to schools, helping families enjoy nutritious meals at home.
- With the support of 1Eid Luton, 100 children received a hot meal and a fun ride, shared through our network of primary schools.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to Islamic Relief, whose incredible support included
- £5,000 towards food parcels
- £1,000 for gifts and ride tokens
- 160kg of Qurbani meat
Together, these efforts brought smiles, comfort, and hope to many during this special time. Thank you to all our partners and donors for making it possible.
A Big Thank You to Pioneer Learning Trust!
Luton Foodbank sends a huge thank you to Pioneer Learning Trust for their incredible generosity! Your schools – Southfield Primary Academy, Chantry Primary Academy, Whitefield Primary Academy, Warden Hill Infants, and Ferrars Junior School – collected a full minibus load of donations. Your support makes a real difference to our community!
Our Young Heroes!
Big shout-out to Ayla and her cousin Aadam! These amazing kids used their birthday money to buy much-needed items for our foodbank. And they’re not stopping there! They’ll also be running in our Luton Foodbank Colour Run in Wardown Park on Saturday, July 5th, bringing family and friends along to support us.
Luton Foodbank Advisor Update
We recently hosted the OCTA Project Partners, sharing updates on our latest work, challenges, and achievements as part of our Charity Spotlight series.
Get Involved and Support our Work
Donate Online to Fund Food Parcels
Every donation, no matter the size, helps us continue our fight against hunger in Luton. If you’d like to contribute, you can make a donation here.
Volunteering
Volunteer at events or food distribution points by emailing [email protected] or visiting our Volunteering page.
Donate or Volunteer at a Supermarket Collection
If you’re in one of these supermarkets on the dates shown, please pop an extra item or two in your trolley for our collection. See our food list, or get the mobile app, to keep up to date with our needs.
We’re looking for volunteers, too
If you can give a few hours of your time, we’d love to hear from you.
Learn more and sign up by emailing [email protected] or visiting our Volunteering page.
Do you work with families in need?
If you work with families or individuals in need, contact us about becoming a referral partner. Email [email protected] or call 01582 725838.
Boost your Business while Giving Back to the Community
Looking to elevate your brand visibility and make a meaningful impact?
Explore our range of exclusive sponsorship packages designed to benefit both your business and the community.
By becoming a sponsor, your business will enjoy premium exposure through prominent placements on our homepage and your logo featured in our digital newsletter, reaching a wide audience.
Together, we can work towards ensuring that no one in our town goes hungry.
How to join the programme
Find out how to become a sponsor here.
Volunteer with us
We often need more volunteers, so it doesn’t matter whether you can spare a couple of days a week or just a couple of hours.
Learn how to volunteer here.
Support Luton Foodbank: Make a Difference Today
Thank you for standing with us in the fight against food poverty.
Every act of kindness brings us closer to a hunger-free Luton.