Despite claims by economists that the UK’s
cost-of-living crisis may be easing*, the stark reality is that thousands of Londoners are still struggling to access nutritious food.
As children across London return to school this September, the lasting impact of the summer holidays will still be felt by many families, especially those who went weeks without access to free school meals they rely on.
Research by The Felix Project revealed that over two-thirds (67%) of teachers in England feared that at least one child in their class would experience hunger over the summer. This could be as many as 675,000 children nationwide.
In response, London’s Food Insecurity Network (LFIN), a growing coalition of housing, community, and voluntary organisations, has been working to ensure that no social housing resident in the capital goes to bed hungry. As
well as doing their bit to help holiday hunger, the LFIN
has released a report highlighting how to continue to help all year round.
Summer Support in Action
Non-profit housing association Peabody, a founding member of LFIN alongside the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT) and The Felix Project, delivered summer programmes across its estates. Many of these include free
lunches for children, as well as activity clubs offering everything from sports to arts and crafts.
Meanwhile, The Felix Project, which delivers food to 170 schools weekly during term time has supplied larger deliveries to 28 schools which remained open during the break, as well as providing hundreds of tonnes of additional
food to many new and existing sites.
During the winter, LFIN members and partners organised 63 community food markets and shared 35,000kg of food (the equivalent of around 84,900 meals). The programme proved so successful that some partners extended this into the summer. The Felix Project and Clarion Futures collaborated to run school holiday and summer food markets, providing much-needed support to families facing holiday hunger and using these as a catalyst for wider community engagement.
A New Impact Report
These summer efforts reflect the Network’s commitment to year-round action; a theme explored in more detail in its new
LFIN
Impact Report. which was released in June.
The report highlights the need for organisations across sectors including housing associations, members of the food industry, charities and other partners to work more closely together to tackle food insecurity in London.
By sharing resources, ideas and knowledge, they can have a greater impact and reach more people in need.
It also includes real-life examples of projects already making a difference, such as
Cook
for Change, a fully subsidised programme developed by Cook for Good, in partnership with Peabody and supported by the Fusion21 Foundation and Wates Family Enterprise Trust. It aims to help social entrepreneurs develop food based social enterprises,
and includes a three-day bootcamp, pitch and business plan masterclasses, a showcase event and ongoing support.
From food markets to cooking hubs in the community, the report emphasizes the importance of non-stigmatising, inclusive spaces where residents can access nourishing, culturally appropriate food, as well as other vital support
and the chance to connect with others in the community.
The report highlighted these findings by The Food Foundation***:
· An estimated 7.3 million adults were affected by food insecurity across the UK in January 2025
· 5% of households reported not eating for a whole day
· Food-insecure families were more likely to cut back on healthy foods like fruit and vegetables.
· Free school meals are not reaching all who need them: for households with children not on Free School Meals, the latest survey found that one in nine (12 percent) had smaller meals or skipped meals because they couldn’t afford or access enough food.
Separate research by Trust for London, which shows that pay that inequality in London is significantly higher in London than in England as a whole****. In London, the 20 percent highest paid earn nearly 2.5 times more per hour than the 20 percent lowest paid. In England, the figure is 1.59 times.
Looking ahead
Over the next 12 months, the Network aims to explore ways to help tackle the deeper issues behind food poverty.
They plan to create a food insecurity toolkit for the housing sector to share the Network’s methods and learnings as a reliable resource for them and find gaps where help is missing so they can be filled.
Plans also include continuing to share ideas and good practice and exploring the potential for similar Networks in other towns and cities across the UK.
Sector-wide support
To mark the launch of the report, a panel discussion took place at Peabody’s London headquarters, featuring speakers from
HACT, The Felix Project, Feeding Britain, MTVH, St Giles, and others. Attendees included representatives from local authorities, housing associations, and charities, all united by a shared commitment to help people experiencing
hunger across the capital.
Rebecca Rieley, Head of Communities and Projects at HACT, said: “The event was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made over the past year and to share ideas about how we can continue working together to tackle food insecurity in the year ahead. The Felix Project continues to increase their impact with the latest initiative to redirect surplus farm produce directly into communities. Our panel discussion delivered examples and inspiration of the work being
done in and outside London to not only tackle food insecurity but do so sustainably through community driven support.”
