About Moorland Food Bank

In 2020, in response to the Covid pandemic, a small team of volunteers from All Saints’ Church Dulverton began collecting donated food, packing it into parcels and delivering them to those in greatest need in the communities of southern Exmoor, including Dulverton.

This service was originally called Dulverton Food Bank but as it reached out into the surrounding villages it was renamed Moorland Food Bank.

In late 2024 the Moorland Food Bank underwent some changes. The team applied to the Charity Commission for charity status and were registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity number 1211198) on 2nd December 2024.

A new Board of Trustees formed and began the process of governance and new operational volunteers were recruited to boost the existing team. New premises were found at Riverside House in Dulverton, and from there the packing and delivery of food parcels for those in greatest need was able to continue.

Approximately 300 food parcels per year are distributed by the Moorland Food Bank team, across the towns and villages of southern Exmoor, including Dulverton, Brushford, Skilgate, Upton, Exford, Withypool, Hawkridge, Cutcombe, Winsford, Exton and Brompton Regis.

The food parcels contain a carefully thought out range of non-perishable food items, normally including cereal, pasta, rice, tinned meat and fish, tinned fruit and vegetables, sauces, desserts, hot and cold drinks and snacks. We try to accommodate special diets on request and are occasionally able to help with pet food items. We are not currently able to supply fresh food items.

Thank You to the organisations that have funded, advised and/or supported Moorland Food Bank

A big thank you to the following who have recently provided funds to support the Moorland Food Bank…

We also want to thank the following community groups who have recently made donations to the Moorland Food Bank…

Dulverton Good Neighbours Group
Streamcombe Allotment Charity
Dulverton Garden Club
Exmoor Friends
Dulverton Film Club
Winsford United Charities
Winsford PCC
The Moorhens
The Stichers
Dulverton Gardening Club

And our thanks to the following for the advice, training, information and other forms of support provided….

All Saints’ Parish Church, Dulverton
St. Nicholas’ Parish Church, Brushford

And our thanks to the following food donation point hosts to whom we are very grateful…

Dulverton Co-op
Winsford Village Shop
The Exmoor Stores, Exford
Central Convenience Store, Wheddon Cross

We are hoping this list will grow – please get in touch if you could provide a donation point.

The Board of Trustees

John Preston – Trustee and Chairman

John was born and brought up in Somerset. After training to be a teacher his first job was in Leicestershire. He retired from teaching in 2017. He is a Town Councillor; was a Trustee of the Youth Club in Dulverton; is on the Gardening Club Committee and involved with the Film Club and Players. John has three children, two grandchildren and a lively young Sprocker who thinks she is human!

Hugh Forster – Trustee and Treasurer

Hugh is a semi-retired Director of an engineering consultancy, working at home with occasional visits to London. He has lived in Dulverton since 2022 with his wife Tandra and cat Mo, having identified this area as clearly the best place to live between Taunton and Exeter. His mum was brought up in The Quantocks, and he has numerous relatives across Somerset.

Roz Matthews – Trustee, Secretary and Volunteer Co-Ordinator

Roz, originally from North London, moved to Devon in 2023 via Hertfordshire. She worked in Estate Agency for approximately 20 years. She still visits friends and family regularly in London. She is now a Landlord and Volunteers for Moorland Food Bank & Mid Devon Mobility.

Ian Matthews – Trustee

Ian works from home as a Company Director and moved to Devon with is wife Roz in 2023 from Hertfordshire. Other than helping out in the Local Community, he loves potting in his spare time and walking his Doodle dog in the local area.

Frances Nicholson – Trustee

Frances has lived at Oldways End for nearly 40 years. She sits on Somerset Council and Exmoor National Park as well as being a Governor of the local schools, is Church Warden at Brushford and Trustee of several charities.

Nicola Stenner – Trustee

Nicola is Head of All Saints Infant and Dulverton Junior Schools, part of the Moorland Federation. She has lived within the local area all her life and cares passionately about making Exmoor a great place to live for all.

Nick Thwaites – Trustee

Nick moved to Exmoor in 2000. His career has been in the communications sector working for international companies, primarily focused on mobile communication. His local efforts have been through his work on Dulverton Town Council, both as Chair and as a member for over 15 years; he is pleased to be elected as a Town and Parish member of ENPA.

Arabella Beatson-Hird – Trustee

Arabella grew up in North Devon and then moved to London and ran an interior design business for some years. After this, she moved to the Mendips where she ran a small farm before moving to Exmoor twenty years ago and setting up a larger farm and has two children, she is now retired and has given up some of her time to help at Moorland Food Bank.

Jackie Archer – Trustee

Jackie’s family moved to Brushford when she was 18 months old, therefore not born and bred – but nearly! She attended Dulverton V.C. Primary School. Since then, apart from a brief spell in London, she has lived on Exmoor all her life. She is recently retired from running her own interior design and soft furnishing business and would now like to put something back into the community. She is married with two grown up sons and four grandchildren.