FoodCycle, the pioneering UK charity tackling food poverty, social isolation, and food waste by turning surplus food into free community meals, has launched its 30th London project.
Volunteers are needed to help transform surplus food into nutritious meals for local guests in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, at the new FoodCycle Plaistow meal in the East London borough of Newham, as well as at other projects across the city (full list below).
The new FoodCycle Plaistow meal is served at 7pm on Wednesdays at the Memorial Community Church on Barking Road, E13. It’s the second FoodCycle community meal to open in Newham, and the 30th in London, as the charity expands to help nourish communities across the city.
Launched 15 years ago, FoodCycle has served 3.5 million meals in communities across England & Wales since 2009. The charity’s 100th UK project will open in Reading, Berkshire in November.
Across London, FoodCycle has served more than 45,000 meals so far in 2024, and saved more than 88 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste.
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.
FoodCycle projects are open to the public in: Barking, Bow Road, Camden, East Ham, Finsbury Park, Fulham Court, Hackney, Islington, Kilburn, Lewisham, Marylebone, Mitcham, Peckham, Plaistow, Roehampton, Thornton Heath, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Wandsworth Road, Wembley, White City, and Woolwich (full list below).
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.
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. Volunteers served their first community meal at FoodCycle London Plaistow on World Food Day, October 16th.
FoodCycle Regional Manager for East London, Jan Gazda said: “We are pleased to have opened our 30th London community meal in Plaistow. There is a high demand for free food provision for local people in Newham, particularly as the high cost of living continues to affect everything from fuel bills to food costs. 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!”
In September 2024 FoodCycle was awarded: ‘Medium Charity of the Year’ in the national Third Sector Awards and ‘Charity of the Year (with an income of £1 million – £10 million)’ by The Charity Times.
FoodCycle CEO Sophie Tebbets said: “At FoodCycle, we believe that bringing people together not only addresses hunger, loneliness, and food waste, but also boosts mental wellbeing and strengthens community spirit. As we launch our 30th London community meal in Plaistow, we are grateful for the dedication of the thousands of volunteers who make our projects possible across the city and beyond. The feedback we receive from our guests across the country highlight the urgent need for services like ours, while reaffirming that FoodCycle’s community meals are truly making a difference where it matters most.”
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 guest survey statistics relevant to the high cost of living:
• 63% said they couldn’t afford to buy the food they needed (up from 22% in November 2021)
• 75% said they often skip meals (up from 23% in November 2021)
• 84% said that the FoodCycle meal helps with their weekly budget
• 89% said that they are worried their financial situation will get worse by the end of the year
FoodCycle Plaistow takes place on Wednesdays at 7pm, at Memorial Community Church, 395 Barking Road, London E13 8AL.
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 – Sundays at 1pm at Al Madina Mosque, 2 Victoria Road, Barking, IG11 8PY
FoodCycle Fulham Court – Mondays at 6.30pm at Family Hub Tudor Rose Community Centre, Fulham Ct, London SW6 5PG
FoodCycle Camden – Tuesdays from 5pm at 67 Plender Street, NW1 0LB (access via front door of Saint Pancras Community Centre)
FoodCycle Wembley – Tuesdays from 6.30pm at Park Lane Methodist Church, Park Lane, Wembley, London, HA9 7SG
FoodCycle East Ham – Tuesdays at 7pm at Pilgrims Way Church, Pilgrims Way, East Ham, London, E6 1HW
FoodCycle Islington – Wednesdays at 1pm at New River Baptist Church, 80 Arran Walk, London, N1 2TL
FoodCycle Lewisham – Wednesdays at 1.30pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
FoodCycle Peckham – Wednesdays at 5pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS
FoodCycle Tottenham – Wednesdays at 7pm at St Paul’s Church, 60 Park Lane London N17 0JR
FoodCycle Marylebone – Wednesdays at 6pm at St Paul’s Church, 5 Rossmore Road, London, NW1 6NJ
FoodCycle Hackney – Thursdays at 12.30pm at New Kingshold Community Centre, 49 Ainsworth Road, London, E9 7LP
FoodCycle Walthamstow – Thursdays at 6.30pm at St Mary’s Welcome Centre on Church End, E17 9RH
FoodCycle Mitcham – Thursdays at 6.30pm at Togetherness Community Centre, Wakefield Hall, Taylor Road, London CR4 3JR
FoodCycle Wandsworth Road – Fridays at 12.30pm at Christ Church Community Hall, 41 Union Grove, London, SW8 2QJ
FoodCycle Woolwich – Fridays at 12.30pm at Woolwich Common Community Centre, 17 Leslie Smith Square, London SE18 4DW
FoodCycle Bow Road – Fridays at 7pm at Bow Road Methodist Church, 1 Merchant Street, London, E3 4LY
FoodCycle Thornton Heath – Saturdays at 12.30pm at St Alban’s Church Hall, 1 Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6RD
FoodCycle Finsbury Park – Saturdays at 1pm at Finsbury Park Community Hub, Corker Walk, London, N7 7RY
FoodCycle Kilburn – Saturdays at 1pm at St. Cuthbert’s Parish Church, Fordwych Road, West Hampstead, London, NW2 3TN
FoodCycle White City – Saturdays at 1pm at Our Lady of Fatima Parish Centre, Commonwealth Avenue, London, W12 7QR
FoodCycle Lewisham – Saturdays at 1.15pm at Lewisham Irish Community Centre, 2A Davenport Road, London, SE6 2AZ
FoodCycle Roehampton – Saturdays at 5pm at Roehampton Methodist Church, Minstead Gardens, Roehampton, London, SW15 4EB
FoodCycle Peckham – Saturdays at 5.30pm at All Saint’s Church, Blenheim Grove, London, SE15 4QS
