Joining IFAN
Become a member of the growing UK-wide network for independent food aid providers. Membership is free to all independent food aid providers sharing our vision, values and principles. Find out more about being an IFAN member organisation below.
What are the benefits of being an IFAN member?
The Independent Food Aid Network connects, supports and advocates on behalf of independent food aid providers operating across the UK while the need for food aid exists.
IFAN’s vision is of a country without the need for emergency food aid and in which good food is accessible to all. Membership is free and organisations sharing our vision can join the network by completing the form at the bottom of this page.
Our membership includes nearly 400 independent food banks while IFAN has been responsible for the identification of at least 961 independent food banks across the whole of the UK.
IFAN connects, supports and advocates on behalf of its member organisations in a range of different ways, including:
- Sharing advice, guidelines, best practice and funding opportunities
- Organising meetings, webinars and conferences for member organisations to share concerns, ideas and best practice
- Recently distributing PPE and some small grants during the peak of the COVID-19 national lockdown
- Collating food parcel distribution data from the network and other independent food banks and using this to advocate on our members' behalf at a national and local level - You can read our most recent data reports here.
- Campaigning alongside other charities to see measures introduced that would reduce the poverty driving the need for charitable food aid.
We are regularly asked to comment and contribute information by journalists, academics, civil servants, politicians and other third sector organisations. Member organisations are involved in taking part in national surveys, research projects, conferences and IFAN's data collation project.
You can read more about IFAN's work and in news coverage here.
If you have any questions at all about IFAN membership please don't hesitate to contact Sabine or Maria at admin@foodaidnetwork.org.uk
"As an independent community food bank run entirely by volunteers it’s really good to be a member of IFAN as it provides a forum for peer support and learning from other independent food aid providers. IFAN also provides us with advice and collates and presents information to raise awareness on the unacceptable rise in food bank use and of the need for measures to address the underlying cause of food insecurity."
Mary McGinley, Helensburgh & Lomond Foodbank"Being part of IFAN has been invaluable in terms of support and encouragement. Hearing how other similar organisations are adapting and coping has been so helpful. Being an independent food bank can feel quite lonely but IFAN has provided a support system that brings us all together."
Jen Coleman, Black Country Food Bank"Being a member of IFAN has given our local food bank a voice that is being heard at a national level. Having input into the national agenda on food poverty will hopefully lead to a change in policy in order that food poverty can be recognised and measures taken to implement meaningful change. The independent food bank service and the valuable work it does has been ignored for too long."
Joyce Leggate, Kirkcaldy Food Bank"As a Food bank Manager, I find support and common aims among the member groups of IFAN. Together we can be part of a movement, to call for change in the communities and society we live in, to call for a better way to live with more compassion and care . So that there are not those, who find themselves marginalised and isolated in our country. Through IFAN, members can find solutions together, share initiatives and collectively strive for our voice to be heard; representing ourselves and our communities, to bring a more fair and just society. Together we can have hope, share common humanity and bring some laughter to our challenging work."
Alison Peyton, ReadiFoodMembership Form
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