Water bill help and advice to be offered at Northern Devon Foodbanks

Branches of Northern Devon Foodbank will be welcoming South West Water staff throughout this year to support local customers looking for help and advice with their water bills.

The SWW community liaison experts will be dropping at branches in Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe, South Molton and Fremington during 2026.

Northern Devon Foodbank, founded in 2012, is funded by donors and provides emergency food support to tackle poverty across North Devon and Torridge.

The partnership with SWW is part of its ongoing work with local agencies who can support clients with long-term help to address the reasons behind why they are struggling financially.

The multi-agency drop-in hubs are attended by various charities and businesses such as South West Water, Citizens Advice, Navigate, Shelter and the Devon Mental Health Alliance.

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James Craigie, director at Northern Devon Foodbank, said: “We see more than 100 families in crisis each week, and while we provide emergency food support, it is the hard work of our partner agencies, such as South West Water, that tackle the underlying issues causing the crisis. 

“We are so grateful to those agencies, our volunteers and the public.”

South West Water can offer various means of financial help such as support tariffs to help reduce customers’ bills, including caps on charges for large families or customers who need extra water for medical treatments.

It can set up flexible payment plans to help support customers when they need it most and provide financial support for unexpected hardships or life-changing events, such as bereavement or job loss, as well as tailored assistance for customers struggling with debt.

Above: Volunteer Steve Hinchcliffe preparing to go above and beyond at the South Molton branch of Northern Devon Foodbank.

Lorraine Whiting at South West Water added: “We’re proud to work with the Northern Devon Foodbanks as they do such wonderful work in the community to support clients who are struggling financially.

“Not only do food bank staff ensure local people have access to regular, nourishing meals but they provide a holistic approach to helping people get their lives back on track.

“This year our customer engagement team will be visiting community hubs and food banks across the region, talking to customers face-to-face and putting them at the forefront of everything we do.”

The company says its community engagement officers regularly meet customers at community hubs, job centres, work clubs, NHS groups and wards, community cafes – and even carry out home visits where needed.

To find out more about the support South West Water can offer, visit https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/household/help-support/financial-support

To find your nearest Northern Devon Foodbank branch and community hub, or for more information about the service, visit https://northerndevon.foodbank.org.uk/locations

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