Support with food
Food Pantries and Community Hubs: Budget Help (if you need cheaper groceries)
If you're managing on a tight budget and looking for more regular help, food pantries, community food hubs and low-cost community shops are here for you. For a small fee, you can access a weekly shop of fresh and store cupboard items, saving money while choosing what works for you and your family.
Community Meals: Community Meals (if you want hot meals and company)
Community meals offer a space to enjoy a low-cost or free meal in good company. They're open to everyone and often include a cuppa, a chat and friendly faces who’ll never judge.
Foodbanks: Emergency Food (if you have no food today)
Foodbanks are there for emergency situations like sudden job loss, benefit delays, or other unexpected financial difficulties. They provide short-term food parcels to help people get through tough times. To access support, you'll need a referral from a support worker, GP or advice agency.
Healthy Start
Get free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk
Eligible families in Cumberland are being encouraged to apply for free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk as part of the Healthy Start scheme.
The scheme provides a prepaid card worth up to £8.50 per week to spend on fresh produce such as cow's milk, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, infant formula milk and fresh, dried and tinned pulses.
If you're struggling with the rise in the cost of living, you can access a range of advice and support through our cost of living and welfare support page.
How to find out if you're eligible and apply
To be eligible you must get certain benefits, details of these and how to apply are on the NHS website.
You can also apply by either email or phone.
Email: healthy.start@nhsbsa.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0300 330 7010 - phone lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday (except public holidays). Charges may apply.
Free vitamins
Free vitamins are available for pregnant women and mothers for up to six months after birth (if breastfeeding or dual feeding) as well as vitamin drops for children up until the age of four. Vitamins for pregnant women will initially be distributed by midwives and health visitors during their early visits.
All families in Cumberland with children under the age of two will be able to collect eight weeks' supply of children's vitamin drops from many community venues across the area. Families with children aged between 2 to 4 years will be able to collect theirs from the same community venues using their Healthy Start pre-paid card.
If you are pregnant, please contact your midwife or health visitor for your vitamins.