The Washington Community Food Project (WCFP) has introduced a two-person limit for food parcels at its satellite distribution site at St George’s Church in Harraton, Washington, Tyne and Wear. As of 3 February 2026, the church site will focus on smaller households to ensure there are enough supplies for everyone who needs emergency help. Clients with households of three or more people will generally be referred to the main food bank hub at The Galleries Shopping Centre, although referral partners will determine the most appropriate site and other satellites (for example Oxclose Church, which has a three-person parcel limit) may be used where suitable.
Residents can visit St George’s Church on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and on Fridays from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. To receive a parcel, people must still obtain a referral from authorised agencies such as Gentoo, the Jobcentre or local welfare organisations; the service is also listed on local directories such as Wellbeing Info, which provides details of where and how to access support. Referral organisations will help decide which WCFP location is most appropriate for a household’s size and circumstances.
The main hub at The Galleries Shopping Centre (Unit O) is open Tuesday to Friday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM. That central location has more space for storage and processing and can provide larger parcels for bigger families that the smaller church site cannot accommodate.
Clive Bowman, chairman of WCFP, has previously emphasised that the project relies heavily on community donations and that “the amount of food we have in stock can vary” — meaning parcel contents change according to available donations and stock. The charity also receives grants and other funding, according to its public accounts.
WCFP is the only dedicated food bank serving the Washington and Springwell area; it was set up as an independent charity to fill a local gap where national food bank chains did not have a permanent Washington base. By operating both the town-centre hub at The Galleries and satellite sites such as St George’s Church, the group aims to maintain local access while meeting increased demand for emergency food support.
For the most up-to-date site times, limits and referral instructions, see WCFP’s official pages (including ‘Where to Find Us’) and the Sunderland Information Point directory listing.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
