Getting help and volunteering

As the city’s official community hub, HIVE Portsmouth is working with the council, NHS Portsmouth Clinical Commissioning Group and Solent NHS Trust to coordinate support for vulnerable people and groups.

• If you are an individual in need of help please visit the HIVE Portsmouth website or call the HIVE Portsmouth helpline on 023 9400 7124. This line is currently open from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. HIVE Portsmouth can help put you in touch with groups and organisations that can offer support.
• If you live outside of Portsmouth, you can get information, advice and practical support from Hantshelp4vulnerable on 0333 370 4000. This line is currently open from 9am-5pm, seven days a week.
• If you need medical help, call the NHS on 111. If it is a medical emergency, call 999.

HIVE Portsmouth can help put you in touch with groups and organisations that can offer support. If you need support but struggle to get in touch with us due to a communication difficulty or a disability, you can now text us at 07860027785.

In your text, please include:

1. your name,
2. a brief description of the type of support that you need, and
3. whether you would like us to give you a call back or send you an email. If you prefer an email response, please also provide your email address.

We’ll text you back to let you know when you can expect a phone call or email. We’ll always aim to get in touch with you as soon as we possibly can.

Your Local Pantry is a network of community food stores, creating a sustainable and long-term solution to food poverty and helping the UK save money on their food bills. Your Local Pantry is a membership scheme where for around £3.50 each week members can visit the Pantry and select a minimum of 10 items of their own choosing from a wide selection of goods.

Food banks provide around three days food for your whole household if you can’t afford to buy food.  Some food banks need a referral, and some can help you without being referred.

If you need a referral, your support worker or school may be able to refer you, but if not, you can contact Advice Portsmouth – call 023 9279 4340, text 07789 550593 or email advice.portsmouth@theyoutrust.org.uk. You can also contact your local housing office if you are a city council tenant.

Find more information on our dedicated page.

If you can, buy a few extra items and drop them into the drop-off points in these stores:

• Co-op – Eastney Road, Highland Road, Elm Grove, Copnor Road, Great Southsea Street, Winston Churchill Avenue
• Sainsbury’s Local Guildhall Walk
• Tesco Fratton Park
• Tesco North Harbour
• Waitrose Southsea

The most needed items right now are:

• Tinned fish
• Tinned meat
• Tinned tomatoes
• Tinned vegetables
• Rice
• Deodorants (men’s or women’s – roll-on, not aerosol)
• Shower gels
• Shampoos
• Ladies sanitary items
• Size 6 nappies
• Baby wipes
• Baby food

Thank you for your help!

We’re looking for volunteers to become community champions to help the NHS and council share accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccination programme, and access to health services, including mental health and wellbeing, as we recover from the pandemic. This is also an opportunity to share with the services about the needs of people in the community to develop the programme.

The role is voluntary and based from home, so you can do it whenever is most convenient to you.

Find out more, or apply to be a community champion volunteer

‘Crowdfund Portsmouth‘ is a crowdfunding initiative we launched earlier this year with Shaping Portsmouth. This is to help local businesses, social enterprises and individuals to raise money from the crowd and unlock match-funding and other grants.