Welcome to
Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance
Think food. Think support. Think change.
Due to the busyness and expanding work of Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance we are having to introduce a temporary pause on referrals so that we can update our service to best support residents of Derby. Our phone lines, website referrals and social media referrals are now closed and will re-open Monday 9th February at 9.30am.
If you haven't accessed our services before and needing cost of living support or facing financial insecurity, please explore the full range of local help available below:
A list of support organisations and free advice services can be found on Community Action Derby’s Cost of Living support page - including Warm Welcomes offering a meal and refreshments
If you are in immediate difficulty, Derby City Council services may be able to assist through the Local Assistance Scheme
If you have accessed services previously, please also look at the pages above as well as you may be able to access support directly as a one off from the project we referred you to directly previously but there is no guarantee of this.
We apologise for any inconvenience that our referral access being paused for 1 week but we want to offer people the best service possible so this pause is a necessary one.
Paul Brookhouse
Senior Manager
Our Purpose
The Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance supports people in Derby who are experiencing food insecurity, through food provision, signposting, support and advice.
We partner with 17 food-based projects, including 6 community shops, community pantries, and traditional food projects. We also work with 30 local community meal-based projects.
Whilst we continue to meet the immediate need of food insecurity, our main focus is to support and signpost those accessing our services to tackle the root causes of their deprivation and poverty.
Getting Support
If you need assistance we can provide you with a range of support, including an emergency food provision.
Join our current initiatives to help support our community
Derby Community Lottery
Lotteries are a fun and effective way for causes to raise much-needed funds in these difficult times. By getting more people on board, they don’t just raise funds, they also raise awareness.
Call line volunteers needed
We take on average of 350-400 calls a month. We are looking for volunteers to help cover 3/4 hours a day on Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10am - 4pm.
Struggling financially?
At DF4TA, we understand the importance of financial stability in achieving overall well-being. While we don’t provide direct financial assistance, we have gathered a list of trusted resources that can help you better manage your finances and navigate financial challenges.
Find out more
Latest News
26 Jan 2026
A big thank you to Sebastian, our Duke of Edinburgh's Award student
Sebastian spent time at our Central Storage Unit creating and updating poster designs — using his budding artistic skills to make something really special.
21 Jan 2026
Our hearts are glowing — just look at these gifts!
A huge thank you to everyone who donated toys at Derby Arena in support of DF4TA. Your generosity brought joy to local children over the festive season — and those brand-new toys will also help us top…
21 Jan 2026
January donations roundup — thank you, Derby
Since getting back up and running, we’ve welcomed some brilliant donations. Your generosity keeps everyday essentials moving through our network so help is there when people need it. We’re really…
18 Jan 2026
Warm Clothing Donation Point in Derbion
In partnership with Derbion, we’re collecting clean, wearable coats, jumpers, hats, scarves and gloves at our Donation Station just outside Sainsbury’s on Level 1.
16 Jan 2026
This week, the team at Derby Theatre brought over the food donated through their Reverse Advent Calendar, thanks to the generosity of their audiences all season. These donations will help us keep our…
15 Jan 2026
Volunteers Needed – Join Our Next Chapter
Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance is launching a new community shop and school uniform hub, and we’re building a full volunteer team to bring it to life.
14 Jan 2026
URGENT APPEAL – Our furniture project van has been stolen
Sadly, on Monday morning we discovered that our project van had been stolen over the weekend.
9 Jan 2026
Huge thanks to Gareth and the Rolls-Royce plc Civil Large Engines LiveWell committee
They wrapped up our Reverse Advent Calendar with two trolley-loads of food and raised a whopping £1,700 through bake sales, a raffle and Christmas Jumper Day.