A charity that aims to tackle food poverty, loneliness and food waste, is appealing for volunteers to help at a new community meal that’s launched in Tottenham.
FoodCycle needs volunteers to help provide free weekly hot meals for local guests in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, every Wednesday at 7pm, at St Paul’s Church, on Park Lane, N17.
It’s the first FoodCycle community meal to open in Haringey, and is among 29 now running in London, as the charity expands to help nourish communities across the city.
Volunteers get to be part of the ‘FoodCycle magic’ – transforming surplus food that would otherwise go to waste into delicious vegetarian dishes, such as soups and salads, pasta bakes, curries, stews, pastries and fruit crumble.
Across London, FoodCycle has served more than 38,500 meals so far in 2024, and saved more than 60 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste. The charity has been running for 15 years, and now runs 93 community meals nationally, offering good food and company to guests from all backgrounds.
Everyone is welcome to turn up to eat for free, with regular guests including low-income families, elderly people, refugees, people who live alone, may be homeless, or simply want to get more involved in their community.
Other nearby FoodCycle meals include services at Finsbury Park, Hackney, Islington, Kilburn, Camden, and Wathamstow.
Whether you’re a food waste warrior, a keen cook or washer-upper, a tea-making machine, or just enjoy a friendly chat while sharing a delicious meal, volunteering with FoodCycle is a fun way to help your community, and the environment too.
FoodCycle Regional Manager for North and West London, Alannah McGovern said: “It’s heartening to have opened our first community meal in Tottenham. Harringay is a vibrant area and we know our free food provision will be a vital support to many local people, particularly as the high cost of living continues to affect food costs and food bills. Each week we provide a safe, welcoming space for anyone who wants to come along to enjoy great food and conversation with us for free. Our community meals run on the kindness of volunteers, so we’re asking local people willing to give up a few hours a month to get in touch.”
No prior qualifications are needed to volunteer with Foodcycle and there’s no minimum weekly commitment – just sign up via the FoodCycle website and relevant training and guidance will be provided.
Roles include cooking, hosting and pot washing, or helping run the project, for which you need to be available for four-hours on any day you volunteer. Drivers or cyclists are also needed to help collect surplus food, for which you need your own transport.
Chris, a long-term FoodCycle London volunteer says: “It’s always lovely to see the smile on guests faces and the warm, welcoming atmosphere of our community meals. But also the energy and enthusiasm of our volunteers as we push ourselves to create and serve restaurant-quality meals. I’ve also learnt that there are pretty much no limits to the diversity of vegetarian food – we’ve hardly repeated dishes in my six years of volunteering!”
So far in 2024, FoodCycle has served over 100,000 free meals to people across England and Wales and saved more than 200 tonnes of surplus food from going to landfill. The charity celebrates its 15th birthday in September.
Why do communities need projects like FoodCycle?
By bringing people together, FoodCycle not only tackles hunger, loneliness and food waste, but it’s also improving mental wellbeing and strengthening community spirit.
FoodCycle carried out a survey with 1,448 guests in December 2023, which revealed that almost half (44%) eat most meals alone and 72% had felt lonely.
The survey underpins the need for services which tackle the UK’s loneliness pandemic by forging positive connection in local communities.
The results suggest that FoodCycle’s community meals model works to support people’s wellbeing – with 92% of the guests surveyed leaving weekly meals feeling happier, 88% feeling more part of their community and 84% feeling less lonely.
FoodCycle Tottenham takes place every Wednesday at 7pm, at St Paul’s Church, 60 Park Lane London N17 0JR.
Sign up to volunteer here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/volunteer-london/
You can also donate to support FoodCycle here: https://foodcycle.org.uk/donate/
Other FoodCycle London meals open to the public:
FoodCycle Barking every Sunday at 1pm at Al Madina Mosque, 2 Victoria Road, Barking, IG11 8PY
FoodCycle Fulham Court every Monday at 6.30pm at Family Hub Tudor Rose Community Centre, Fulham Ct, London SW6 5PG
FoodCycle Camden every Tuesday from 5pm at 67 Plender Street, NW1 0LB (access via front door of Saint Pancras Community Centre)
FoodCycle Wembley every Tuesday from 6.30pm at Park Lane Methodist Church, Park Lane, Wembley, London, HA9 7SG
FoodCycle East Ham every Tuesday at 7pm at Pilgrims Way Church, Pilgrims Way, East Ham, London, E6 1HW
FoodCycle Islington every Wednesday at 1pm at New River Baptist Church, 80 Arran Walk, London, N1 2TL
FoodCycle Lewisham every Wednesday at 1.30pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
FoodCycle Peckham every Wednesday at 5pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS
FoodCycle Marylebone every Wednesday at 6pm at St Paul’s Church, 5 Rossmore Road, London, NW1 6NJ
FoodCycle Hackney every Thursday at 12.30pm at New Kingshold Community Centre, 49 Ainsworth Road, London, E9 7LP
FoodCycle Walthamstow every Thursday at 6.30pm at St Mary’s Welcome Centre on Church End, E17 9RH
FoodCycle Mitcham every Thursday at 6.30pm at Togetherness Community Centre, Wakefield Hall, Taylor Road, London CR4 3JR
FoodCycle Wandsworth Road every Friday at 12.30pm at Christ Church Community Hall, 41 Union Grove, London, SW8 2QJ
FoodCycle Woolwich every Friday at 12.30pm at Woolwich Common Community Centre, 17 Leslie Smith Square, London SE18 4DW
FoodCycle Bow Road every Friday at 7pm at Bow Road Methodist Church, 1 Merchant Street, London, E3 4LY
FoodCycle Thornton Heath every Saturday at 12.30pm at St Alban’s Church Hall, 1 Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6RD
FoodCycle Finsbury Park every Saturday at 1pm at Finsbury Park Community Hub, Corker Walk, London, N7 7RY
FoodCycle Kilburn every Saturday at 1pm at St. Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Fordwych Road, West Hampstead, London, NW2 3TN
FoodCycle White City every Saturday at 1pm at Our Lady of Fatima Parish Centre, Commonwealth Avenue, London, W12 7QR
FoodCycle Lewisham every Saturday at 1.15pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
FoodCycle Roehampton every Saturday at 5pm at Roehampton Methodist Church, Minstead Gardens, Roehampton, London, SW15 4EB
FoodCycle Peckham every Saturday at 5.30pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS
