About us
Helping those most in need in our community
Loaves and Fishes is a Scottish Registered Charity that has been supporting East Kilbride for over 30 years. We're a grassroots team providing food, essentials and emotional support — without judgement.
Our history
From street meals to a 250-parcel-a-week service
Loaves and Fishes began more than thirty years ago, primarily as a grassroots street meals service — helping the destitute and hungry, at the most basic level, keeping people alive.
As the years passed, the service evolved and began delivering meals inside a church with a restaurant-style setting, allowing a sense of normalcy and dignity for those receiving what was still free food and support.
As things became tougher for those most in need, the Loaves and Fishes Foodbank began. Pre-Covid, this was delivering possibly 30 food parcels a week maximum. We now provide 250+ food parcels every week — helping families, pensioners, veterans… every sector of society.
Our CEO
Meet Lesley Davidson
Lesley has lived in East Kilbride all of her life and lives with her family of six and her three dogs. She has been involved in community groups and projects all of her life — youth group leader, Volunteer Co-ordinator, Project Co-ordinator, Company Director — and now Chair and Co-ordinator of Loaves and Fishes Food Bank.
Lesley has been part of Loaves and Fishes for over five years and understands every element of the organisation: from making up food parcels to budgeting stock purchase, and her favourite role — being front of house, engaging with our customers and building relationships.
"It is an honour to be CEO of Loaves and Fishes. The most important thing I can do is create an environment of warmth, support and kindness, free of judgement. The day we can close our doors and not be needed anymore will be a day to celebrate. Sadly I don't see this happening any time soon."
Meet the team
Our trustees, board and volunteers
Management Team
Lesley Davidson
Chief Executive Officer
Vivienne Paterson
Chief Operating Officer · Vice Chair
Trustees
Les Hoggan
Chair
Elaine Norrie
Secretary
Shona Kerr
Treasurer
Phil McMahon
Trustee
Board Members
Adam Davidson
Gail Bennett
Moira Bell
Brendan McNulty
Drivers
John
Anthony
Ian
Gordon
Robbert
Admin Support Team
Dannielle Scott
Laurie
Pamela
Suzie
Denise
Admin team member
Front of House
Laura
Janet
Fiona
Karen H
Karen
Brenda
Looking ahead
Plans for 2026
After the work involved in the move from Singer Road to the Greenhills Community Hub, 2026 looks like an exciting year of development. We recently converted to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO).
We're completing a full Community Asset Transfer, which will give us a long-term lease on the property and enable us to do all the work we'd like to in order to make the facility even better for our customers.
New services we're introducing include:
- Smoking cessation services
- Advocacy, mental health and wellbeing services
- Cooking classes for nutritious meals for families
- Free gym lessons
- PC access for online forms, CVs and job applications
- Expansion of our weekly "A Space To Talk" service
- Financial education in partnership with HSBC and other agencies — helping people in poverty understand their financial position and identify opportunities out of poverty.
"Full Tummies, Warm Hearts and Clear Heads."