Food Bank & Cultural Food Hub
Cultural Food Hub
The Hamara Cultural Food Hub supports five main ethnic communities in the city of Leeds. Since its launch, the hub has registered 42 member organisations, including charities, community groups, and religious institutions.
- Currently, we have 39 active members
- 33 collect food weekly
- 6 collect biweekly
We also support our partners’ independent projects and actively collaborate where needed. To promote communication and networking, we created a dedicated WhatsApp group for all members.
In addition to standard food items such as rice, oil, tomatoes, and onions, we provide culturally appropriate foods:
- Chickpeas and lentils for Southeast Asian communities
- Plantains and Gari for African communities
Occasionally food hub members are invited to participate in research projects conducted by Hamara on behalf of institutions such as the NHS, with small honorariums provided for their participation.
Hamara also partners with educational institutions across Leeds, offering placements for student volunteers to gain practical experience from the hub.
Foodbank
Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamara Food Bank continues to serve as a critical resource for many individuals and families still facing hardship.
We provide a wide range of food items, including:
- Dairy products
- Fresh produce
- Frozen items
- Hot meals
In addition to food support, we assist families with energy and water bills, and occasionally provide vouchers (e.g., Aldi or Kashmir) to help meet their needs.
We prepare two types of food parcels to respect community dietary preferences:
- Halal
- Standard (non-halal)
Our food bank relies on a dedicated team of volunteers from the local community and Wetherby HM Prison, who help with parcel preparation and distribution. We are currently distributing 80 to 90 parcels and hot meals weekly at the door.