Student Food Pantry

We know that being a student is hard, even before money comes into it. But don't worry, because UCASU Got U! Welcome to Fork Yeah! - the Student Food Pantry in the heart of Farnham campus, brought to you by your Students' Union President - Phoebe!

Fork Yeah! aims to provide free food, hygiene essentials, cleaning products, and other donanted necessitives on-campus. Students will also be able to access financial support, and wellbeing & advice resources.

 

Take what you need, leave what you don't.

 

The Backstory

As Students' Union President, I am proud to present 'Fork Yeah!', the on-campus student food bank!

This initiative aligns with one of my key objectives for the year: to help and support students through the cost-of-living crisis.

It is important that students should not be forced to pick between their wellbeing and their education. By providing food support, we hope to give students the opportunity to save money, have better access to materials, and cut back on hours at work to have greater opportunities and money for social activities!

Addressing the reality of students' lives in today's economy is essential to supporting students' daily lives, wellbeing and academic success. It is a commitment to advancing and advocating for student success and educational equality. Through this initiative, we aspire to not only meet the immediate needs of the students, but also foster a community of support, belonging, care and dignity.

It's hard for me to put into words how much this project means to me, and being able to see months of hard work come together. I'm grateful for the support I have been given throughout the planning and creation of 'Fork Yeah!'

 

Phoebe Daniels

UCASU President Farnham

 

How it works

You'll be greeted by one of our volunteers or members of staff, who will ask for your student number and course. You'll then have time to pick out which items you want.

Similar to a supermarket, Fork Yeah! has shelves you can pick your items from, labelled with how many of each item you are allowed to take. Once you have picked up your items, there are resources available for any additional support you may need.

We will also have feedback forms available, so we can continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the pantry, make positive changes and continue to improve.

Any data or information you give will be private and confidential. More information on our data protection and privacy can be viewed here.

 

Usage Rules & Guidance

We have rules in place to ensure every student can have fair access to the food bank, and ensure a good experience for both the students and our volunteers:

1. Respect our volunteers and follow any instructions they give you.
2. You choose the products you take. We are not responsible for any allergies or dietary requirements.
3. Be considerate of other students - everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable while accessing support.
4. We operate using donations -  there may  times we run low on stock or don't have something you want, but we will always try and provide as much as possible.
5. If you require any accommodations whilst acessing the food bank, please let a member of our team know prior to your visit, so we can do our best to assist you.
6. Please bring your own bag with you.
7. Don't hesitate to ask questions or reach out for additional support - we're happy to help!

 

How you can help (Donation Opportunities)

We rely on funding and the generosity of the local community to keep the Fork Yeah! student pantry stocked. Every donation, big or small, can make a huge difference to the lives of our students. We accept non-perishable food items and hygiene products:

Food: canned goods, dry pasta, long-life milk, lentils, rice, cereal, and other items with extended shelf lives
Household essentials: Personal hygiene products such as toothpaste, sanitary products, washing up liquid, and body soap.

Please ensure that all donated items are unopened, in good condition, have a long expiration date, and do not require refridgeration. We are unable to accept donations that do not meet this criteria.

If you would like to donate, you can drop items off at Fork Yeah! during operating hours or at the Students' Union Office.

If you'd like to help out but are unable to donate, please get in touch with Phoebe regarding volunteering opportunities!

 

Other resources

TOTUM NUS Extra	TOTUM is a student discount card and app giving you access to huge offers on food and essentials, tech, travel, and home delivery. TOTUM has all the best student coupons, vouchers and discounts. Click here to join and download the TOTUM app.
Student Beans	Student Beans ID gives you access to discount codes, food discounts and shopping deals. Get it on the App Store.
The Student Money Manual	An essential guide to student finance and managing money at university. It covers everything from budgeting, to student finance, and fees to make your money stretch further as a student. Access it here.
Dopplle	Dopple is a free platform, designed for students to exchange clothes within their University or College community. Their goal is to reduce textile waste by encouraging students to swap clothes to give them new life. Get it on the App Store.
Big Oven	Big Oven recommends recipes based on your leftover ingredients, makes shopping lists for you and helps you plan your meals for the week ahead. Get it from the app store or click here.
Too Good To Go	The Too Good To Go app lets you rescue unsold food from going to waste from shops and restaurants in your neighbourhood. Get it on the App Store.
Voucher Codes	Voucher Codes is an app for the UK's best voucher codes, discounts, deals and cash. These student discounts can help your maintenance loan stretch further. Get it on the App Store.
Save The Student	Save The Student provides free money advice, student deals, and resources to help students manage their finances. They also offer student discounts. Click here to acess their resources.
Step Change	Step Change gives students free debt help with student budgeting, student loans, student funding, working as a student and student debt help. Click here for more information.
Citizens Advice	Citizens Advice is a network of independent, free and confidential charities that provide advice on a wide range of issues to the public. They can help with problems related to debt, housing, work, benefits, consumer rights, offering practical guidance. Click here for more information.
UNiDAYS	UNiDAYS is a free digital platform that provides exclusive discounts and offers from top brands to verified students. Students can sign up for an account to access deals on fashion, tech, food, and more, both online and in-store. Get it from the App Store.
Money Helper	Money Helper is a collection of in-depth guides to help improve finances, tools and calculators to help keep track and plan ahead, and give support over the phone and online. Click here to access their resources.

 

Need further support?

UCASU ASK (Advice, Support & Knowledge): ucasu.com/ask

UCASU ASK Resources: ucasu.com/knowledgebase

UCA Support & Wellbeing (for students): wellbeing@uca.ac.uk

 

Questions or concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us:

Phoebe Daniels
UCASU President Farnham
phoebe.daniels.su@uca.ac.uk

Vanessa Silva
Student Engagement Coordinator Farnham
vsilva.su@uca.ac.uk

UCA Students' Union General Enquiries
union@uca.ac.uk
01252 89 29 09

Additionally, you can come visit us at the Students' Union Office (in the Workshop) and have a chat anytime!