Foodcycle: healthy meals for those in need
By Ben Brangwyn 10th May 2011
Foodcycle looking for a new community cafe in London
This is totally wonderful – turning surplus food into nutritious meals for people in need. The UK is not quite in the alarming food situation that has pushed many people to rely on food stamps in the US, but there are many people for whom Foodcycle has become a real lifeline.
Foodcycle is a multi-award winning charity that combines volunteers, surplus food and underutilised kitchen space to create nutritious meals for vulnerable, poor and isolated local people.
FoodCycle target groups include elderly people who may be less able to cook for themselves, those on a tight budget or busy parents who struggle to find the time to cook from scratch. Our meals are fairly priced so that the café is accessible to all. We charge under £5 for three courses and a drink! We charge for our meals rather than giving them away for free because we would like each project to become self-sustainable. In addition to the food, the café provides a welcoming and warm environment that encourages community cohesion.
They’re now looking for a venue for a new Community Café in London.
Here’s the scoop from Jessica:
Following the success of our first community café in Haringey we are looking for a venue to replicate this model. We would like to start two new projects in London this year.
We need a venue that fulfils the following criteria:
- Decent sized kitchen with industrial cooker
- Dining area that can sit at least 40 people
- Storage space
- In a deprived area of London which is inhabited by a diverse range of groups
- Available for use as a café that is open to the community and general public
- Available for at least 1 day a week (this day must be the same each week)
We are looking for a venue that is inclusive and a partner that shares our objectives to tackle food waste and address food poverty. We are unable to pay commercial rates but would be able to contribute towards venue overheads. We have seed funding for the project start-up costs.
If you have a kitchen and dining space that could be suitable for a FoodCycle community café and are interested in finding out more about working together, please get in touch. Please fill out the expression of interest form and email it to Jessica@foodcycle.org.uk.
Jessica Veltman
Community Café Development Manager
Jessica@foodcycle.org.uk
m: 07806429587
t: 0207 377 8771
If you’d like to work with them, the “expression of interest” form is here. This is one of those projects that really does “tick all the boxes”