If you are a food bank, lunch club, community garden, surplus food project, composting site, or want to begin offering a meal via one of your existing services, you may find the links on this page useful.
How to set up a community composting scheme
Read our guide on How to open a new community composting scheme.
Many of your questions may be answered by our Community composting FAQ or our other pages about Compost.
How to set up a community garden
We no longer have the capacity to help set up community gardens. However, if you already have a site in mind then we can put you in touch with the council to help start this process.
You may also find our resources below useful:
- Guidance for new gardens in public spaces
- Community consultation tips
- Example questionnaire (to use in consultation)
- Issues to consider when setting up a garden
- Tips on writing a garden proposal for outdoor spaces
For advice on leases and licences, you may find the Community Land Advisory Service very helpful.
If you wish to set up a community garden on an allotment, you may be able to fast-track the waiting list. Read our tips on writing a proposal for a community allotment.
How to set up a community kitchen or cookery project
Click here to read our story about how we set up the community kitchen.
Contact us if you would like a link to a recording of a webinar we did about our story setting up a community kitchen, which we request a donation for.
We can also provide a list of potential kitchen spaces available.
How to set up a food bank
Contact us for advice resources on how to set up a food bank.
There’s also advice about setting up and running affordable and emergency food projects on our Emergency Food Network webpage.
The food aid guide from The National Lottery Community Fund shares practical tips from food banks they have supported over the years, providing inspiration if you’re thinking of opening one in your community.
Guidance on food safety when setting up a food bank, food aid charity or provider can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.
How to set up an affordable food project
Contact us for advice resources on how to set up an Affordable Food Project and connect with the affordable food network.
A year of collaboration has culminated in this Growing Community Food Enterprises toolkit, now available to any project wishing to make the step to become a food enterprise. Read more about how local projects in Brighton helped build this toolkit in our blog about how to Grow your project’s potential with the new Community Food Enterprises toolkit from Sustain.
The Feeding Britain network has many Best Practice Guides with advice and support about setting up or adapting a food bank into an affordable food project.
There’s also advice about setting up and running affordable and emergency food projects on our Emergency Food Network webpage.
How to set up a community fridge
Hubbub provide national support and resources about how to start a community fridge.
However, be aware there is very little surplus food spare for projects such as this. Read our page on How to access surplus food for more information.
There’s also advice about setting up and running affordable and emergency food projects on our Emergency Food Network webpage.
Where to get food or surplus food
Have a look at this list of recommended food suppliers from Feeding Britain updated for Dec 2025.
Be aware that there are many established projects in the city looking for food and there is little extra. The Food Partnership does not have food to give away. Read our page on How to access surplus food for more information.
It is advisable your project budgets for food in any future funding bids so that you can buy in stock. See the information below on where to find funding for your project.
How to extend the shelf-life of surplus food
Download our guide to micro-processing using a dehydrator, based on lessons learnt by the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership in making dehydrated vegetable packs to extend the shelf life of gluts/ surplus veg.
Watch the recording of the ‘Juice It, Bottle It, Dry it’ webinar we participated in with Real Farming Trust and Brighton Permaculture Trust.
Where to find support for your project
Planning & Connecting
- You can get help with deciding the future direction of your project and connecting with funders from your local community development organisation. Trust for Developing Communities work across Brighton & Hove in neighbourhoods and citywide.
- The Resource Centre provides useful support for small groups, including equipment hire, information services, and printing.
- If you want your project to feature on our website directory , please email it to info@bhfood.org.uk .
- Sign up to our fortnightly Food Partnership newsletter to receive food news and local updates direct to your inbox.
- If you want to share your own opportunities at your project, such as job vacancies, volunteering or events, we often feature these in the newsletter or on our website. Email Emma at emma@bhfood.bozboz.dev for more information.
Funding
Email info@bhfood.org.uk if you would like to be added to our mailing lists, where we send out training, news and new funding opportunities.
Sign up to the East Sussex County Council funding news bulletin.
Contact our Community Food Projects Manager for one-to-one advice for community projects. Contact us to submit your request.
