Food, essentials and support for families in Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area — and the places to give something back, if you would like to.
Every organisation here was checked against its own website, or an official council or charity record, in 25 October 2026. Each one links straight to their own page, so you always read the current details from the people who run it. SENDBridge does not sell anything here and takes no payment or commission from anyone listed.
Please contact the organisation before you travel. Opening times, collection points and what is in stock can change at short notice, and some services are by appointment only. A quick call, or a look at their website, saves a wasted journey.
Asking for help is not a failure
Whether money is tight this week, or you are trying to get through a much longer stretch, there is help close by. Most of it does not need a professional to refer you, and none of it will ask you to explain yourself over and over.
The label on each listing tells you straight away whether you can contact them yourself or whether you need a professional to refer you, so you know before you pick up the phone.
If you are not sure where to start, MK Food Bank's helpline on 0300 303 4933 is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. You do not need a voucher or a referral from anyone, and nobody will judge you.
I Need Support
Food and essentials, baby and children's items, and support for families living with domestic abuse.
Food & Emergency Support
Food parcels, low-cost top up shops and free community fridges across Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard, plus council help with rent, Council Tax and emergency costs.
MK Food Bank
You can refer yourself
Emergency food parcels for anyone in Milton Keynes who is struggling to afford food.
A parcel of around three days of food for your household, plus practical support and signposting to other help. You can receive up to six emergency parcels a year.
Who it is for: Anyone living in Milton Keynes who needs urgent help with food.
There is no voucher to get from a professional. Call or text the helpline and answer a few questions. You will be given a six-digit number to take to a collection centre, along with ID for yourself and everyone in your household.
Swap boxes
Halal and gluten-free swap boxes are available at Frank Moran Centre, Broughton Pavilion, Hedgerows Family Centre and Rowans Family Centre. Ask when you present your food parcel number.
Collection centres
Frank Moran Centre, Melrose Avenue, Bletchley MK3 6PA — Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. Newton Leys Pavilion, Furzey Way, Newton Leys MK3 5SP — Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm. Kings Community Centre, Creed Street, Wolverton MK12 5LY — Tuesday to Friday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm. Great Linford Parish Council, 1 St Leger Court MK14 5HA — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 4pm, Wednesday 9am to 12pm. Broughton Pavilion, 139 Tanfield Lane MK10 9NJ — Tuesday and Thursday, 10am to 4pm. Glebe Farm School, Burney Drive MK17 8XY — Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1.30pm to 2.30pm. Knowles Primary School, Queensway, Bletchley MK2 2HB — every Friday, 1.15pm to 2.30pm. Venture Church, Strudwick Drive, Oldbrook MK6 2TG — Monday and Friday, 1.45pm to 2.45pm. Unity Park, 401 Elder Gate MK9 1LR — Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 12.30pm. Moorlands Family Centre, 6 Dodkin, Beanhill MK6 4LP — Monday and Wednesday 2.30pm to 3.30pm, Thursday 9.30am to 10.30am. Rowans Family Centre, 13a Moorfoot, Fullers Slade MK11 2BD — Monday to Friday, appointments only. Hedgerows Family Centre, Langland Road, Netherfield MK6 4NP — Monday to Friday, appointments only.
Low-cost food shops across Milton Keynes, so you can choose what your family actually eats.
Store cupboard items and cooking ingredients at a fraction of shop prices. Living alone: 8 items for £2, or 12 items for £3. Couples and families: 16 items for £4, 20 for £5, or 24 for £6.
Who it is for: Anyone living in Milton Keynes who is in financial hardship. Visiting the Top Up Shop does not count towards your six emergency food parcels a year.
Register by calling the helpline on 0300 303 4933, or in person at one of the shops. Once registered, bring proof of address — a driving licence, utility bill or benefits letter. You can visit once a week, and you do not have to go every week.
Where and when
Frank Moran Centre, Bletchley MK3 6PA — every second Saturday, 10am to 12pm. Conniburrow Community Centre, 37-39 Conniburrow Boulevard MK14 7DX — every Tuesday, 10am to 11.30am. Broughton Pavilion, 139 Tanfield Lane MK10 9NJ — every Wednesday, 10am to 11.30am. Kings Community Centre, Creed Street, Wolverton MK12 5LY — every Wednesday, 12.30pm to 2.30pm, closed during school holidays. Sir Herbert Leon Academy, Fern Grove, Bletchley MK2 3HQ — every Thursday, 10am to 11.30am. Great Linford Parish Council, 1 St Leger Court MK14 5HA — every Thursday, 11am to 12pm. New Life Church, Bradwell Road, New Bradwell MK13 0EJ — every Thursday, 12.30pm to 2pm. Rowans Family Centre, Fullers Slade MK11 2BD — every Thursday, 1pm to 2.30pm. Venture Church, Strudwick Drive, Oldbrook MK6 2TG — every Friday, 10am to 11.30am. Hedgerows Family Centre, Langland Road, Netherfield MK6 4NP — every Friday, 1.30pm to 2.30pm.
Free fresh food, open to absolutely everyone. No referral, no criteria, no questions.
Surplus good-quality fresh food shared by residents and businesses, so it is eaten rather than thrown away. Bring one bag per household and choose up to 10 items.
Who it is for: Everyone. There is no criteria for receiving or sharing food.
Just turn up during opening hours. Nothing to sign, nothing to prove, and nobody asks why you are there.
Where and when
Coffee Hall, Woughton Community Council — Tuesday, 10.30am to 2pm. Conniburrow Community Centre — Wednesday 3pm to 4.30pm and Friday 1pm to 2.30pm. Great Linford Community Hub — Monday, 11.30am to 12.30pm. Tinkers Bridge Meeting Place — Saturday, 8.30am to 10.30am. St Mary's Community Centre — Saturday, 2pm to 3.15pm. Netherfield Vineyard Chapel — Thursday, 12pm to 2pm. Water Eaton Church Centre — Tuesday, 10.30am to 12pm. Westcroft Pavilion — Tuesday, 2pm to 5pm. Wolverton, The Old Bath House — Saturday, 1pm to 2pm.
The Salvation Army, Leighton Buzzard — Community Drop-In
No referral needed
A weekly community drop-in in Leighton Buzzard, open to everyone, with hot food, a warm space and practical support.
A safe space for all, with bacon sandwiches and hot drinks for a donation, newspapers and friendly chat, and access to food parcels, advice and support.
Who it is for: Everyone in Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding villages. There is no criteria for going along.
Just turn up. There is no referral, no appointment and nothing to prove — the drop-in is open to everyone.
Lammas Walk, off Beaudesert, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1JA
Milton Keynes City Council — cost of living support
No referral needed
Council help for rent, Council Tax and emergency costs, for when food alone is not the whole problem.
Local Welfare Provision for an emergency, the Crisis and Resilience Fund for low-income households, a Housing Payment if you are on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing element and cannot meet a rent shortfall, Discretionary Council Tax Reduction, and Council Tax support for households affected by terminal illness.
Who it is for: Residents of Milton Keynes who are worried about paying for essentials.
Apply directly to the council. Each scheme has its own application route on their cost of living page.
The same page also links to MK Food Bank, SOFEA and a benefits calculator, so you can work out what else you may be entitled to.
Baby and children's essentials, free clothing, and support for families living with domestic abuse.
Baby Basics MK
Professional referral needed
The referral system is closed for half-term and reopens on Monday 2 November.
Essential baby and children's items for families with children aged 0 to 6 across Milton Keynes.
Carefully prepared packages of clothing, toys, toiletries, nappies, baby food and formula, and sleeping and feeding equipment. They reuse high-quality pre-loved items alongside new donations.
Who it is for: Families with children aged 0 to 6 living in Milton Keynes and the surrounding area.
Referrals come from professionals — family centres, health visitors, midwives, schools and nurseries, social workers and local churches. You cannot refer yourself, so please ask one of them to refer you.
Top Up Shop — no referral needed
Baby Basics MK also runs a low-cost Top Up Shop with MK Food Bank at Kings Community Centre, Creed Street, Wolverton MK11 5LY, on Wednesdays, term time only. Anyone who needs a little extra help can use it, no referral needed, and it is cash only. See the MK Food Bank Top Up Shop listing for the current times.
MK Charity Hub, Barford, Galley Hill, Milton Keynes MK11 1PE — above the Londis shop
Open Monday to Thursday, closed Fridays, bank holidays, Easter and Christmas. Opening hours can be reduced in school holidays. They cannot provide car seats or cot mattresses.
Free, good-quality clothing for adults and school-age children, plus some hygiene essentials.
Clothing for adults and children of school age and above, and some hygiene essentials, given freely. They also signpost guests to support with debt, addiction and housing. Every summer they hold a free school uniform event, which needs no referral and is open to all.
Who it is for: Individuals and families in Milton Keynes who have been referred to them.
A professional needs to refer you: someone at a local authority, a manager at a registered charity or faith organisation, your GP, or a professional working in care, health or education.
Not accepting clothing donations at the moment, and their centre is closed while it relaunches. Please do not take donations to them until they say otherwise.
Unit C101, Bletchley Business Campus, Barton Road, Bletchley MK2 3HU
The 2026 date for the free school uniform event has not been announced yet. Uniform is held in stock all year, so they can often help in the meantime.
Support for anyone in Milton Keynes escaping domestic abuse, and the first step towards a refuge place.
A confidential Crisis Intervention Service offering information, advice and support, and the first step towards a place at an emergency refuge. It is for clients of all genders escaping a partner, an ex-partner or a family member.
Who it is for: Anyone in Milton Keynes affected by domestic abuse, and their children.
Contact them yourself, in confidence. You will always speak to a trained female support worker, and they will never judge you.
Helpline open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Outside those hours, call the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, which is open 24 hours a day.
Our SEND Directory lists family centres, SENDIASS, health, education and support services across Milton Keynes and beyond. Several of those family centres are also MK Food Bank collection points, so you can often sort both in one trip.
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people find the money they are entitled to. Everything it offers is free, there is nothing to sign up to, and you can use one tool without the others.
Free, and run by Turn2us — a national charity, not part of SENDBridge. Using a tool does not apply for anything: it shows you what may be worth claiming, and you decide what to do next. turn2us.org.uk
Free Period Products & Personal Essentials
Free period products across Milton Keynes, with the place you can help yourself without asking, the ones you ask at, and the exact words to use if you would rather not. Plus where to donate unopened products.
You do not have to explain yourself
Period products are an everyday essential, not a treat. If you need some, there is free help close by, and you will not be asked to prove anything or to explain your situation to anyone.
Some of these places hand you a pack over the counter. A few let you simply help yourself without speaking to anybody at all. Each card below tells you which it is, who can use it, and whether a referral is needed.
If you are a young person, or if asking feels hard, the two sections just below are for you. They show the place that needs no conversation at all, and the exact words that work when you do have to ask.
Nothing here costs anything, and you never have to give a reason for asking. You can also ask a person you already trust — a teaching assistant, a receptionist, a family centre worker or a nurse — instead of asking at a busy counter.
No need to ask
At these places you can take period products without speaking to anybody. We have only listed the ones where the organisation itself says you can help yourself. We have not assumed it anywhere else, because a basket is not always out and it is not the same at every branch.
centre:mk — the toilets in the Guest Services Lounge
centre:mk says on their current Guest Services page that they offer free single period products in their toilets, for guests to take. When they launched the scheme they said the baskets are in the toilets in the Guest Services Lounge. You can walk in and help yourself, without asking anyone.
centre:mk's Guest Services page also lists a Quiet Room, a calm space guests can use, and ear defenders you can borrow at the Guest Services Lounge if the centre feels too loud.
Re-checked on 25 October 2026: centre:mk's own Guest Services page still says this. If a basket has run out, you can ask for a full pack at the Guest Services Desk instead — see 'What to say' below.
Everywhere else on this page, you will need to ask someone. That is usually only a few words, and the next section gives you the exact ones. If you would rather not ask at all, you can always ring or email first — every card has the contact details.
What to say
If you feel awkward asking, you are not being difficult — most people do. These are the words that work, and the staff at these places hear them all the time.
At Midsummer Place
Ask for "A Package for Milly".
That one sentence is all you need. Any member of staff will hand you a discreet package and will not ask you anything else. Midsummer Place's own page says: no forms, no questions, no judgement.
At centre:mk
Ask for "a package for Sue" at the Guest Services Desk.
This is one you ask for, not one you help yourself to — the baskets in the toilets are separate, and they are listed under 'No need to ask' above. centre:mk's current Guest Services page still lists this, so the scheme is running. They will offer you a full pack in a plain bag, discreetly.
At a school, college, library or family centre
Ask: "Do you have any free period products?"
It is a completely ordinary question and the answer is usually yes. You do not need a reason, and it does not matter why you need them.
If you would rather not say it out loud
Show them this page on your phone.
Open the card for the place you are standing in and point at it. Staff are used to this, and it works just as well as saying it.
You can also ask one person you already trust rather than the front desk — a teaching assistant, a school receptionist, a family centre worker, a nurse or a youth worker. You never have to give a reason for asking.
Available now
We read these on the organisation's own website, so you can act on them today.
Package for Milly — Midsummer Place
Available nowNo referral needed
Free. There is nothing to buy and nothing to pay.
Free period products at Midsummer Place shopping centre, in Milton Keynes city centre. You ask for 'A Package for Milly'.
A discreet package containing period products, a disposable bag, and information about further support and other help.
Who it is for: Anyone who needs them, whether you have been caught short while shopping or you are struggling to afford products. Midsummer Place's own words are: no forms, no questions, no judgement.
Nothing to fill in and no referral. The only thing you need to say is the name of the scheme.
How to ask: Ask any member of staff for 'A Package for Milly'. That single sentence is all you need — they will hand you a discreet package without asking you anything else.
Where to collect one
The Management Office, between Starbucks and Smoke & Pepper, next to the Amazon Lockers. Or any Midsummer Place member of staff. Participating shops take part too, including Dr. Martens, Victoria's Secret, Timberland and Lane7.
If you would rather ask somewhere quieter
Shopping centres are busiest at weekends and in the school holidays. The Management Office is usually calmer than a shop floor, if you would prefer not to ask in front of other people.
Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes city centre
Midsummer Place is open Monday to Wednesday 9.30am to 6pm, Thursday 9.30am to 8pm, Friday 9.30am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 7pm, and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Their page lists the participating shops as 'including' the ones named, so there may be others.
Free at most locations, but not every one. Girl Pack says the majority of their packs are given free of charge, while a small number of their locations sell products instead. Their live map is the only reliable way to tell which is which, so please check it before you set off.
Free emergency period packs at more than 100 places across Milton Keynes and the surrounding area, run by a charity staffed entirely by volunteers.
A pack containing a full packet of sanitary towels, feminine wipes, a pair of knickers and hand sanitiser. Girl Pack supplies schools, children's and family centres, parish council offices, community larders and fridges, GP surgeries, sports clubs, shops and cafés, and Guest Services at centre:mk.
Who it is for: Anyone who needs period products, with no criteria at all. Girl Pack does not means-test and there is nothing to fill in. They say their packs are there for people who cannot afford products, for anyone caught out unexpectedly, for young people having their first period, and for people going through the menopause, whose periods can become unpredictable. They support everyone who menstruates, including trans men and non-binary people.
No referral, no voucher and no questions. At most locations you simply take a pack from the basket or ask at the desk.
How to ask: Packs sit in baskets at many of their locations, so you may well be able to help yourself without speaking to anyone — but this is not the same everywhere, so we cannot promise it. If you would rather not ask, contact Girl Pack directly and they will tell you the nearest place to you, by phone, text or email.
Where to find a pack
Girl Pack keeps a live map of every location, and it is the only reliable list — the places change, and the charity updates it itself. Their locations include schools, children's and family centres, parish council offices, community larders and fridges, GP surgeries, sports clubs, shops and cafés, and Guest Services at centre:mk.
Two things worth knowing before you travel
A small number of their locations sell period products rather than giving them away, so check the map entry first. One listed location — the occupational therapy department at Milton Keynes Hospital — is for hospital staff only, and Cranfield Community Hall offers a pad basket only.
Stock varies from place to place, and baskets do run empty. If you are travelling any distance, ring ahead or check the map on the day.
Free. The government pays for the products; you never pay anything.
Every state school and college in England can get government funding for free period products. You ask for them at your own school or college.
Pads, tampons and other products, ordered by the school and given out free. The government's scheme is funded until at least the summer of 2028.
Who it is for: Pupils and students at state-maintained schools and government-funded 16 to 19 settings in England, from year 5 upwards. It covers young people who identify as non-binary or transgender too. It does not cover university students, apprentices or staff. Young women aged 19 or over only qualify if they are continuing a course they started aged 16 to 18, or if they have an education, health and care plan.
No referral and nothing to prove. You do not need to be on free school meals, and you do not need any particular reason — running out, or being caught out unexpectedly, is reason enough.
How to ask: Ask at the school office or reception, or ask a teacher, a teaching assistant, or your school's SENCO — whoever you already feel comfortable with. If you would rather not say it out loud, you can show them this page.
If your school does not seem to have any
Whether a particular school orders products, and where they keep them, is up to that school. The scheme is open to them, but it is not automatic. If your school has none, it is worth asking them about it — they can order products free of charge.
Products are given out during the school day. Ask your school or college where they keep them.
We found these, but we could not confirm that they are giving out products right now. Please check with them before you travel, and do not rely on them until they confirm.
Girls Flow Free MK and Milton Keynes Libraries
Awaiting confirmationNo referral needed
Awaiting confirmation. We have not yet been able to confirm which libraries are holding stock, or whether the scheme is running at every branch. We found this through the organisations' own social media rather than a published page, so please check with your local library before you travel. We are checking it now, and will move this card up as soon as it is confirmed.
A local charity working with Milton Keynes Libraries and MK Food Bank to make free period products available at libraries across the city.
Girls Flow Free MK says it works with Milton Keynes Libraries, which act as distribution points for free period products, and with MK Food Bank. The charity has also partnered with a local GP practice.
Who it is for: Anyone who needs period products. Library staff are used to being asked and will not expect you to explain anything.
No referral. Ask at the counter at any library branch.
How to ask: Ask a member of library staff — 'do you have any free period products?' is enough. If you would rather not ask out loud, you can show them this page.
Not yet confirmed. Please ring your local library before you go.
Awaiting confirmation. The council announced this in October 2023, naming 17 children and family centres. The council now lists 10 family centres, so the arrangement may have changed since. We have not been able to confirm which centres currently hold stock, or how you ask for it, so please ring before you travel. We are checking it now.
The council has worked with local charities to offer free period products through its family centres, alongside schools, community centres and other sites.
A mixed pack of disposable and reusable products, so you can try which suits you, or just pads, tampons, a menstrual cup or period pants.
Who it is for: Families using a family centre. Family centres ask you to register with them before you use them, and you can register online or in person when you visit.
No professional referral is needed for the products themselves. Family centres do ask you to register with them first, and you can do that when you arrive.
How to ask: Ask at the reception desk. If you would rather not ask, you can show them this page, or ring the centre before you go.
Unopened period products are always needed, and they are one of the first things food banks and baby banks run out of. The Hygiene Bank takes tampons, pads, menstrual cups and period pants, and passes them on through local partners. What they can and cannot accept is set out in Ways to Give Back below.
Christmas appeals, food and essential donations, and volunteering that runs all year round.
Christmas Toy & Gift Appeals
Where you can donate a gift this Christmas. Families are reached through schools, social services and local groups rather than by applying directly, so these are appeals to give to rather than to sign up for.
Confirmed for 2026
These organisers have published their 2026 dates, so you can act on them now.
centre:mk Giving Tree
2026 dates confirmed
The shopping centre's Giving Tree, collecting gifts for children affected by childhood cancer through The Henry Allen Trust.
What to give: Take a tag from the Giving Tree, buy the gift written on the back of the tag, and take it unwrapped to Guest Services. You can also give at their Wishing Well, or buy a pair of Reindeer Glasses with every penny going to the trust.
centre:mk, Milton Keynes MK9 3EP
Unwrapped gifts to Guest Services before 22 December 2026.
The Giving Tree runs from 14 November to 22 December 2026.
A national in-store giving tree, where you take a gift tag, buy the gift and bring it back to the store.
What to give: Choose a tag from the tree in store, buy or make the gift, then take it back to the same store in an unsealed gift bag with the tag attached. Please use a gift bag rather than wrapping paper, and hand it to any member of the team. Nothing perishable, such as food or drink, can be accepted. If your store has run out of tags, you can donate to Age UK at the till instead.
Tags are available in stores from 13 October 2026. Please return your gift by the date printed on the tag, so there is time for it to be delivered before Christmas.
Dunelm publishes that more than 200 of their stores are taking part, and names only their Westfield and Wandsworth stores as not collecting gift donations. No individual store is named as a confirmed drop-off point, so please check with a colleague at your nearest store before you shop.
These appeals run every year, but the organisers have not published their 2026 dates yet. Please do not take donations until they confirm — check their website or give them a ring first.
The Salvation Army, Milton Keynes — Christmas Present Appeal
Awaiting 2026 dates
Not collecting yet. This appeal runs every year, but the organiser has not confirmed their 2026 dates. Please check with them before you donate anything or travel to a collection point.
The Conniburrow church's annual appeal, collecting new toys for children across Milton Keynes.
What to give: New, unwrapped toys and gifts for boys and girls aged 0 to 16. Suggested gifts include educational toys, baby clothes, bath toys, books, dolls, action figures, sports equipment, clothing, toiletries with non-allergenic ingredients where possible, gloves, scarves, hats, T-shirts, hair accessories and gift vouchers for older children. Everything must be new: The Salvation Army cannot accept used or second-hand items, or homemade and knitted gifts.
2026 collection dates have not been published yet. In 2025 the collection ran until 5 December, and money donations continued throughout December.
Gifts are sorted and shared with local families through schools, social services and local groups. Not every Salvation Army church runs an appeal, and each one sets its own closing date, so please check with the Milton Keynes church before you buy a gift or make a journey. The church also runs a weekly warm space, Coffee on the Corner, on Wednesdays from 10am to 12pm.
The Salvation Army, Leighton Buzzard — Christmas Toy Appeal
Awaiting 2026 dates
Not collecting yet. This appeal runs every year, but the organiser has not confirmed their 2026 dates. Please check with them before you donate anything or travel to a collection point.
The Leighton Buzzard corps' annual toy appeal, for children in the town and the surrounding villages.
What to give: Toys suitable for children up to the age of 16.
Lammas Walk, off Beaudesert, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1JA
2026 collection dates have not been published yet. In a previous year the appeal ran from 2 November to 12 December.
Donations have previously been taken to their office on weekdays. Not every Salvation Army church runs an appeal, and each one sets its own closing date, so please check with them before you buy a gift.
Not collecting yet. This appeal runs every year, but the organiser has not confirmed their 2026 dates. Please check with them before you donate anything or travel to a collection point.
Gifts for the women and children living in Milton Keynes' refuge, and for families MK Act supports in the community.
What to give: New toys and new clothes only, for babies through to 16-year-olds, and gifts the children can give to their mums. They cannot accept toy guns or knives. Please do not wrap gifts — you can send wrapping paper and tags so the children's mothers have the joy of wrapping their children's presents. Supermarket vouchers are especially welcome, so parents can choose presents themselves.
2026 collection dates have not been published yet. In a previous year gifts were asked for by 13 December.
Individual gifts go to the festive trolley opposite the kiosk at Morrisons, Milton Keynes, Leisure Plaza. Please do not take gifts to their Acorn House office, as that is where the crisis helpline runs. If you have more than one Santa-sized sack, email them to arrange a drop off.
Not collecting yet. This appeal runs every year, but the organiser has not confirmed their 2026 dates. Please check with them before you donate anything or travel to a collection point.
A giving tree for children living in refuges and safe houses, created as an alternative to workplace Secret Santa.
What to give: Register to take part, then either buy a physical gift or give through their online shop. Last year they gave 73,269 toys to children who had escaped domestic abuse.
14 Church Square, Leighton Buzzard LU7 1AE
2026 key dates have not been published yet.
KidsOut's local office for Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire is in Leighton Buzzard and has acted as a drop-off point.
Food banks, community fridges, baby banks and charities that need donations and volunteers all year round, and the ones that cannot take donations right now.
MK Food Bank — food donations
Food donations keep the parcels and the Top Up Shops going, and stocks are currently very low.
What to give: Tinned meat, tinned fish, long-life milk, cereal, biscuits, juice or squash, tinned pulses, spreads, tinned pasta and pasta sauce, tinned fruit, 500g dried rice, tinned vegetables, 500g dried pasta, tinned soups, tinned tomatoes, savoury snacks and cereal bars, tea, sugar, rice pudding or custard, and baked beans.
Their temporary warehouse: M&M Supplies PLC, First Avenue, Denbigh West Industrial Estate, Bletchley MK1 1DX. Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm — ring the doorbell at the main door.
Supermarket collection points at Tesco Wolverton and Kingston; Morrisons CMK and Westcroft; Sainsbury's CMK, Shenley Church End, Olney, Willen and Brooklands; Asda Bletchley; Waitrose Oakgrove; Aldi Kingston and Stantonbury; and Lidl Newport Pagnell.
MK Community Fridge — volunteer or share surplus food
The fridges are run by volunteers, and anyone with surplus food can share it rather than bin it.
What to give: Help maintain the service at one of the nine fridges, share surplus food you are not going to use, or share your skills. You can also make a one-off or regular donation.
Baby Basics MK — donate items, volunteer or fundraise
The baby bank runs entirely on donations and volunteers.
What to give: Clean, good-quality second-hand and new baby and children's items for ages 0 to 6, money, or your time sorting, packing and distributing. There is also a sewing network, and a wishlist of the essentials they always need. Donations are by appointment only, released one week at a time, so please book before you travel. They cannot accept items for children aged 6 or over — MK Storehouse is the place for older children's and adult clothing.
Support for older people in Milton Keynes, including free information and advice and friendship clubs.
What to give: Your time as a volunteer, or items for their charity shops. They can collect donations five days a week if you book online. They also welcome trustees.
Toiletries, period products and household cleaning products for people who cannot afford them, given out through local community partners rather than handed out on the doorstep.
What to give: Unopened, in-date toiletries and cleaning products, and period products in particular: tampons, pads, menstrual cups, period underwear and wipes. Tampons must be in a sealed outer packet showing a use-by date. Pads are fine as long as each one is individually wrapped. Cups and period pants must be new and sealed. They cannot take anything opened, used or out of date.
There are more than 1,200 drop-off points across the UK, many of them in Boots stores. centre:mk publishes drop-off points at their Guest Services and inside Boots in the centre. Their own map is the reliable list, so please check it for the point nearest you before you travel.
If there is no drop-off point near you, you can buy from their online wishlist and have it sent to them, or give money online.
Food and money donations keep the Leighton Buzzard food bank running.
What to give: Food, or a financial gift. There is a donation point at Tesco Leighton Buzzard, and you can give by PayPal, bank transfer, gift card or through their fundraising pages.
MK Storehouse provides free clothing and hygiene essentials, but cannot take clothing donations at the moment.
Not accepting donations right now, and their centre is closed while it relaunches. Please check their website before taking anything to them. When they reopen, they need clothing and funds, and they welcome volunteers for sorting sessions and their annual uniform event.
This page is open to everyone, whether or not you have an account. If you would like to talk to other parents and carers in Milton Keynes, joining SENDBridge is free.