How A Gateshead Food Hub Builds Belonging

A van pulls up, the doors open, and suddenly a normal Thursday feels like an event. That is the bit people see first. What they often miss is what happens next: neighbours sticking around for a brew, volunteers finding their feet again, and a family hub turning into a place where everyone belongs. We’re in Gateshead with Vicki, who brings years of childcare and family support into the heart of the Deckham Family Hub in Carhill. She shares how Bread and Butter has grown from a quiet pick-up into a genuinely welcoming community space, with parent carer volunteers driving the atmosphere and shaping what the hub becomes. We talk about the “Family Voice” approach, how confidence grows when people are trusted with real responsibility, and why the mix of parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and first-time volunteers matters. The conversation also gets practical about affordable food, surplus food redistribution, and the unpredictable reality of supply. Sometimes you get artichokes that make you try something new. Sometimes you get “an insane amount of bread and chicken”. Alongside the food, the hub attracts wraparound support like Citizens Advice, skills and employment routes, and council services that reduce social isolation and help people navigate everyday pressures like debt, food and fuel poverty, and housing worries.