In a small community hub in North Paddington, Thomas Delap is quietly revolutionising how Britain helps people in poverty. The North Paddington Foodbank, which he leads as chief executive, is the UK's only cash-first food bank—and the results are challenging everything we thought we knew about charitable aid.
"Food is just one indicator of a much bigger problem," Delap explains. "Cash is the issue, and then you can do wraparound holistic support."
Unlike traditional food banks that distribute donated food, NPFB provides direct cash assistance tailored to each person's circumstances. Every client is referred through partners like GPs and social workers, then assessed individually. Some need money to bridge the gap before payday. Others require help navigating benefits they didn't know they were entitled to.
The approach was born during the pandemic when Delap, then head of libraries for Haringey, found himself coordinating massive food parcel distributions. "It was this huge operation to source and buy and distribute food. I thought this is basically nonsense. Why are we not just sending people vouchers to buy food themselves?"
The results speak for themselves. One recent success story: a homeless refugee who used to sleep rough around Paddington Station. Through housing support, English lessons, and the dignity of financial assistance, he's now working as an Uber driver with his own flat. He still volunteers at the food bank.
"We've seen some amazing, incredible, long-term outcomes where people have been in complete financial crisis and dependent on food banks and within six months have sorted out their debts or mental health," Delap shares.
The community hub operates 12 hours a day, six days a week, offering not just financial support but English lessons, film nights, spoken word events, and a mental health crisis hub open every day of the year.
During 2026, NPFB will publish a report outlining their methodology—a potential blueprint for food banks nationwide ready to rethink aid.