Help with food for families

Covid-19 Lockdown / Self isolation

Schools can choose to either give food vouchers, grab bags or food parcels to all children entitled to free school meals if not attending school during the Covid lockdown period. Parents and carers need to check with the school and ask how it works. Your child's school should contact you directly about what will happen next.

Apply for Free School Meals

If your child is newly eligible for free school meals due to a change in your circumstances you will need to apply using the Free School Meals Application Form (external link).

Send completed forms to Revenues and Benefits, RBC, PO Box 490, Rochdale, OL16 9AJ.

For further information please telephone 0300 303 8870.

We've given the charity, Family Action, £30,000 to run a food club for families struggling to buy groceries during the coronavirus pandemic. 

It costs £1 to join a club for a year. You can then buy food bags which cost £3.50 but contain £15 of food and collect them from one of the following children's centres: Newbold Sure Start Children Centre, Rochdale, Littleborough Sure Start Children's Centre, Derby Street Sure Start Children's Centre, Heywood.

Contact any children's centre to join the club.

Here's s list of some of the foodbanks in Rochdale borough:

• Rochdale Foodbanks - located on South Parade, Rochdale OL16 1LR and Wesley Street, Smallbridge OL12 9RW.
• Heywood Foodbank - located on Adelaide Street OL10 4HE.
• Middleton Central Foodbank - located in Middleton Shopping Centre, Limetrees Road.

How do foodbanks work? You need a voucher to use a foodbank. You can get a voucher from your doctor, health visitor, social worker, local citizens advice or charity organisation. Your local foodbank can provide emergency food for at least 3 days. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to families for staying at home and staying safe during these unusual circumstances. We appreciate how difficult this can be, especially if you live with children and young people.

We are here to help. There is lots of support available for you and your family.

Please see our leaflet Support for families during Covid-19 (Coronavirus) (3088KB pdf)

Please see the Rochdale SEND Local Offer COVID-19 Help and Guidance (internal link)

Please see Parental Conflict tip sheet - Supporting health and relationships and managing disagreements during COVID-19 (900KB pdf)