One man on a mission to revolutionize food bank giving

John-James, of Give Today

Five years ago John James was working as a nightclub promoter.

Each night he’d see people sleeping rough and he began to dream up ways to support them.

Now he runs Give Today – an online platform enabling people to buy food or items such as sleeping bags for those in need.  The system has revolutionized support for 25 food banks across the UK, including Hackney Foodbank.

Speaking from the dairy farm he lives on in North Wales, John-James, 34, told the team at Hackney Foodbank how it all began.

He said: “As a nightclub promoter, I spent a lot of time in city centers and saw lots of different problems. I began to wonder if there was a website enabling charities to ask for specific items to support people. Beyond Amazon’s wish-list service there wasn’t much else.  I really didn’t want to be doing the nightclub work anymore so I set up Give Today.

“At the start it was a way of providing socks and sleeping bags for homeless people, but it has grown to support all kinds of different charities.  I got to know the team at In Hope in Bristol, who also run the South Bristol Foodbank and our work evolved.

“It doesn’t cost the charities anything to be part of and we don’t take commission – we ask supporters to make a small optional donation to us when they checkout.

“The best part about this is Christmas time – it’s knowing that the site and our work with food banks has provided meals for thousands of families who might otherwise have gone without.”

Since October, Give Today has processed more than £3,000 of donations for Hackney Foodbank – bringing in much-needed food for people in crisis. Each week the food bank team uploads a shopping list with most-needed items and shares it across social media. Any donations are brought to the food bank in Hoxton via one big supermarket delivery.

Sara Battey, Head of Fundraising at the food bank, said: “By enabling people to buy food for us online, Give Today has had a huge impact.  Before this, people would donate tins at supermarkets when out shopping or at other donation points and that’s still an option, but this new method means you can donate at the click of a button and ensures we get the items we most need.”

To order food for Hackney Foodbank via Give Today, visit: Hackney Foodbank - Give Today