The Pathfinder Programme
By Emily Monaghan-Coombs
Food Services Project Manager
Our April contributor is Emily, Food Services Project Manager. Emily has been working on the Trussell Pathfinder Programme to address how we reduce the need for foodbanks in Southwark.
‘Southwark Foodbank was one of 55 food banks selected to join the Pathfinder Programme – an initiative designed to boost capacity and accelerate the development and delivery of strategic plans to reduce the local need for foodbank services‘
The Programme
Over the past five years, leading up to March 2025, Pecan and Southwark Foodbank have taken part in the Trussell Pathfinder Programme. I joined as the Pathfinder Lead for Southwark Foodbank in August 2023, having previously been the Foodbank Administrator for 18 months. The opportunity to contribute towards the foodbank in a different capacity and using my experience felt like a timely and exciting challenge.
This initiative provided funding and support to help Southwark Foodbank continue its vital day-to-day work, distributing emergency food parcels, while also developing long-term strategies to reduce the need for foodbanks in the borough.
‘Investing in our relationships with our referral partners ensures that service users are being supported adequately whilst receiving support from the foodbank.‘
Within the Trussell network of over 400 foodbanks, Southwark Foodbank was one of 55 food banks selected to join the Pathfinder Programme, an initiative designed to boost capacity and accelerate the development and delivery of strategic plans to reduce the local need for foodbank services. Southwark Foodbank is aligned to Trussell’s vision for a ‘UK without the need for foodbanks’. Everyone should have enough money to live on.
Highlights from August 2023:
- Southwark Foodbank has increased its engagement with referral partners to a great extent. We conducted an audit of referral partners, met more referrers one on one, started bi-monthly zoom information sessions for referrers, and conducted two surveys for referral partners. Investing in our relationships with our referral partners ensures that service users are being supported adequately whilst receiving support from the foodbank.
- The successful partnership working, for example through the Breakthrough Project, in collaboration with Southwark Council, Citizens, Advice Southwark and Centre for Responsible Credit. The project provided targeted support to service users who have priority debt to Southwark Council. Over 100 individuals were referred to the project. These participants were able to receive monthly cash income boosts and additional support to address their finances. The Breakthrough Project is just one initiative to support service users in addressing the underlying issues that are driving people to need to use the food bank.
- Another way the foodbank facilitates support to service users is through our advice project with Citizens Advice. Funded through a separate grant provided by Trussell, a Citizens Advice advisor attends every food bank session to provide advice and support for a wide range of issues ranging including debt, benefits and housing. In the past year alone (April 2024-April 2025), 363 clients have accessed this support, and a total of more than £130,000 of additional income has been secured. One service user who received support through this project commented “Everything has been explained in a way that makes it much easier to understand”.
- Exploring new ways of working with Peckham Pantry. For example, through a pilot project whereby instead of referring those in need of emergency food to the food bank, they have the choice to be referred to Peckham Pantry instead. The pilot aims to explore what role the pantry can play in disrupting foodbank use and so far, over 45 individuals and families have been referred to the pilot.
Thanks to Trussell, we have had the capacity and opportunity to undertake projects (some are ongoing) which support clients beyond the food parcel. Due to the additional support, some people have since needed to use the foodbank less or are no longer accessing them. It has been great to see clients from across Pecan services have been able to benefit from this work. Although the Pathfinder Programme has come to an end, it does not mean the hard work stops. Trussell will share learnings from all Pathfinder foodbanks with the wider network and at Southwark Foodbank we continue to ensure that those using our service receive adequate support to address their underlying issue.
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Emily, Food Services Project Manager
Emily Monaghan-Coombs is the Food Services Project Manager at Pecan. Working with Southwark Foodbank and Peckham Pantry, Emily’s role is to support the development of Pecan’s food projects.
