Newsletter

Luton Foodbank Newsletter: May 2026

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Bringing you exciting events, community updates, and ways to get involved.

Contents

National Landscape & Local Reality: A New Wave of Pressures

While we hoped the cost-of-living crisis would begin to ease this year, fresh data shows that households are facing a difficult new wave of financial pressure.

According to the latest figures from The Food Foundation, food insecurity has risen over the last six months. In January 2026, 12% of UK households—including an estimated 6.3 million adults—experienced food insecurity, meaning they struggled to access sufficient food. Among households with children, the figure rose to 15%, affecting approximately 2.2 million children.

What This Means for Luton

In Luton, these national pressures are felt by a community already facing significant financial challenges. As the cost of many healthy food options continues to rise, families are increasingly having to make difficult choices between food, energy and other essential household expenses.

At Luton Foodbank, we are seeing that the challenge is not only access to food, but also the combined pressure of higher living costs and limited household budgets. This is why our focus this May extends beyond emergency food parcels. By expanding our Food Club to give families greater choice and partnering with the charity National Energy Action through our Energy Support Drive, we are working to build long-term resilience and help local families navigate ongoing economic pressures.

May at a Glance: Our Impact

At Luton Foodbank, we continue to act as a vital safety net for our community.

  • Total Food Parcels Distributed: 1366
  • ​Adult Parcels: 942
  • ​Child Parcels: 424
  • ​Information & Signpost Advisor (ISA) Support: 114

The Annual Colour Run 2026 needs YOU!

Get Ready to Make a Splash! 

Our flagship Annual Colour Run is fast approaching, and excitement is building across the town! This is our main public event of the year, and we already have a massive 150 people signed up to run, walk, and get covered in vibrant colour for a fantastic cause. 

Whether you are running solo, with friends, or looking for a fun team-building day with your workplace, this is your chance to make a real difference. Every penny raised helps us keep food on the tables of families who need it most. Let’s make this our biggest year yet! 

A Huge Thank You to Our Sponsors 

This massive community event is made possible thanks to the generous backing of our incredible corporate partners: 

  • Headline Sponsors: Luton Rising & Electrolux  
  • Media Partners: Inspire FM 
  • Colour Station Sponsors: Veezu, Barclays, MK Solicitors, Delicious Desserts, and Green Bridge Community Housing. 

 

High Schools Stepping Up

We have a fantastic line-up of local high schools already signed up to participate and bring their energy to the main event: 

  • Challney High School for Boys  
  • Challney High School for Girls  
  • Chiltern Academy 
  • Denbigh High School  
  • Icknield High School 
  • Lea Manor High School 
  • Putteridge High School  
  • Queen Elizabeth School (QES) 
  • The Stockwood Park Academy 
  • The Chalk Hill Academy   

 

Primary Schools Colour Runs Kick Off! 

In addition to our big annual public event, we are thrilled to launch our dedicated Primary School Colour Runs series! This brings the fun directly to our local younger students while helping them learn about community support. 

The primary school momentum officially kicks off on 5th June with Wenlock CE Academy! 

  • Beechwood Primary School 
  • Crawley Green Infants 
  • Warden Hill Juniors 
  • Beech Hill Primary School 
  • Chantry Primary Academy 
  • Bushmead Primary School 
  • Farley Juniors School  

We owe a huge thank you to Luton Rising for generously sponsoring these primary school events and helping us inspire the next generation of givers. Click here to find out more: https://lutonfoodbank.org.uk/primary-schools-colour-run/

Championing Our Community: Where Weve Been

This month, the Luton Foodbank team has been active on both the national and local stage, building networks and celebrating the strength of our community: 

  • Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons: We were delighted to attend Luton Rising’s parliamentary reception, hosted alongside the East of England All-Party Parliamentary Group. Marking one year since the expansion approval for London Luton Airport, the event brought together parliamentarians, stakeholders, and regional students to discuss economic growth and job opportunities. It was a vital platform for us to represent Luton’s communities, ensuring local voices remain central as our region develops. 
  • Alif New Beginnings Lantern Making: Locally, we had a beautiful time joining Alif New Beginnings to make lanterns! The event was a wonderful way of bringing people together and celebrating the 150 heroes of Luton, marking the historic 150th anniversary of Luton Borough. 

Beyond Emergency Support: Luton Food Club

Our Food Club provides a dignified, choice-based alternative for individuals experiencing long-term financial hardship—including those in work, older residents, or individuals who have relied on emergency foodbank services multiple times. 

Instead of receiving a standard emergency parcel, members make a small £5 contribution, giving them the independence to select the grocery items that best suit their household needs. 

Building Crisis Resilience: Energy & Essential Skills

True intervention means helping residents’ weather financial shocks before they hit. Our Essential Skills Workshops cover vital topics from budget management to nutritious cooking. 

National Energy Action Drive 

Facing energy-related challenges or rising utility bills? In partnership with National Energy Action, we are hosting an Energy Support Drive. Come along for expert, tailored guidance on maximising energy efficiency, managing household energy costs, and unlocking support schemes available to you. 

Powering Communities: Inspire Eid Ride Tokens

In a wonderful partnership with Inspire FM for this year’s Inspire Eid, we worked together to distribute 800 ride tokens to primary and junior school students across the town. We were thrilled to bring some extra holiday joy to children at these eight fantastic Luton schools: 

  • Farley Junior Academy 
  • Whipperley Infant Academy 
  • Maidenhall Primary School 
  • Beech Hill Community Primary School 
  • Foxdell Primary School 
  • Dallow Primary School 
  • The Meads Primary School 
  • St Matthew’s Primary School 

Young Ambassadors Celebration Day

We are thrilled to give a special shout-out to the incredible young people participating in our Young Ambassador programme! This vital initiative, generously sponsored by London Luton Airport, empowers the next generation to become passionate advocates for social action and help us tackle food poverty right here in our community.  

We are incredibly excited to host our Young Ambassadors Celebration Day at Luton Town. We look forward to welcoming our inspiring Gold Ambassadors to celebrate the leadership skills, dedication, and incredible fundraising initiatives they have championed for their community this year. 

This year we have the following schools participating: 

  • Challney High School for Girls 
  • Challney High School for Boys  
  • Pioneer Learning Trust 
  • Linden Academy  
  • Icknield Primary 
  • The Stockwood Park Academy  

Young Ambassadors – Luton FoodBank

The Growing Reality of In-Work Food Insecurity

A local education professional contacted us after finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with rising living costs. Despite working full-time and earning a salary that would once have provided financial stability, increasing household bills, food costs and other essential expenses had left them struggling to make ends meet. 

Reaching out for support was not an easy decision. Understanding the sensitivity of the situation, our team arranged a discreet food delivery and ensured assistance was provided with dignity, respect and without judgement. The emergency food parcel helped ease immediate pressure and provided vital support during a particularly challenging period. 

“Cases like this remind us that food insecurity can affect anyone. Increasingly, we are seeing working people who never expected to need support finding themselves under significant financial strain. By responding quickly and compassionately, we can provide practical help when it is needed most while preserving the dignity of those who turn to us for assistance.” 

Join Our Team: We Are Recruiting!

Want to play a leading role in shaping the future of Luton Foodbank? We are growing our team to increase our capacity and impact. We are currently looking for passionate individuals to fill two key roles: 

  • Operations Manager 
  • Project Coordinator 

If you have the skills to drive our mission forward, https://lutonfoodbank.org.uk/jobs/

Celebrating Volunteers Week & Getting Involved

As we head into Volunteers Week this week, we want to extend a massive, heartfelt thank you to everyone who gives up their time for us. From our warehouse teams to our collection stall volunteers, you are the backbone of Luton Foodbank. 

If you are a corporate partner looking to make a difference, consider exploring our Business Sponsorships 

 

Weekend Volunteer Support: Collection Volunteers

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We always welcome volunteers to help us manage the stalls!

DateLocation
June 13th & 27thAsda
July 11thAsda
August 1stAsda
  

Get Involved

The visit by the university students was a powerful reminder of how much we rely on dedicated individuals. If their interest in our work inspires you, please consider joining our team!

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.

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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.