Alex visits the Good Company’s Hub in Epsom

In May 2024, Alex visited Good Company’s Hub in Epsom. Good Company are a charity working to prevent and alleviate poverty in East Surrey. They run the following projects:

• Epsom and Ewell Food Bank (part of the Trussell Trust network); provides emergency food, support and advice to people and families who are experiencing severe financial hardship. They have food banks in Tadworth, Ewell, Banstead, Epsom and Leatherhead, and in 2023 helped over 10,000 people.
• Epsom and Ewell Refugee Network; supports refugees and asylum seekers with free English language classes and a drop-in Help Desk.
• East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission; works alongside people with experience of food insecurity to raise awareness of the drivers of poverty and find long-term solutions.
• Epsom Pantry; offers choice and low-cost nutritious food alongside volunteering opportunities.
• Support Work: providing practical and emotional support and enabling people to access additional support through welfare advice, advocacy and signposting.

In 2024, Epsom and Ewell Food Bank’s report highlighted poor mental health (28%) and ill health or onset of disability (29%) as contributing factors to needing the food bank. This echoes The Coalition’s findings on the link between food insecurity and disability.

Good Company are working with The Coalition on Access to Food. The Access to Food scheme provides funding to Disabled people struggling with the cost of living who may also have difficulty, due to disability or long-term health condition, getting to their local food bank.