The Felix Project, the charity that saves surplus food for people in need, has opened a new depot in Enfield.
Community groups and charities across North London will get access to fresh and nutritious food to provide meals, snacks or food parcels for their clients including the elderly, the homeless, those with mental health issues, refugees and asylum seekers, families and children.
The Enfield depot will collect, sort, and re-distribute fresh food free of charge to charities, helping them save money on the food they provide for some of London’s most vulnerable people. The Felix Project already provides food for over 19,700 meals a week from its depot in West London, and the new Enfield depot will more than double this capacity, with surplus food collected from supermarkets, wholesalers, delis and others in the area.
The Mayor of Enfield, Councillor Christine Hamilton, opened the new depot saying: “Food poverty is a huge and growing problem in London, yet every year the UK throws away millions of tonnes of good food. The Felix Project’s new distribution centre will provide surplus food to charities to help people in Enfield and beyond. If you are a charity providing food to people in need, a supplier with good surplus food, or if you would like to volunteer, you can contact the Felix Project to find out how you can help.”
Hilary Croft, The Felix Project CEO says: “We are excited to be able to extend our services in North London and deliver fresh, surplus food where it’s needed most. We are keen to hear from charities, food suppliers and volunteers who want to support our vital work in this area.
“If you can spare a morning, an afternoon or an evening each week, volunteering is a great way to support your local community. If you are a food supplier, our collections are an ideal way to stop your food waste going to landfill and to support a range of local charities. The simple aim of The Felix Project is to see good food go to good causes.”
Dr Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central and Acton, who recently spent a day at the Felix Project depot in Park Royal, West London says: “The Felix Project does fantastic work based out of Ealing, and it’s great that their new depot will expand capacity to save surplus food for more people across London.”
Charities and food suppliers can find out more by emailing [email protected].
Details about volunteering as a driver, co-driver, or warehouse assistant are in the Volunteering FAQs which can be found online at http://www.thefelixproject.org/help-us/volunteer/.
Notes to Editors
Press contact: [email protected] – 07488 929 722
About the Felix Project
- The Felix Project 1 works with food suppliers and charities to reduce food surplus and food poverty. It is a free door-to-door service that delivers over 10 tonnes of food per week which charities use to provide around 19,700 meals.
- A small team of staff and nearly 200 volunteers collect surplus food from suppliers, sort it to meet different charities’ needs, and make daytime and evening deliveries direct to local kitchens, community halls, schools and day centres.
- From a standing start with one van in March 2016, The Felix Project now makes over 1,300 collections and deliveries every month, with a fleet of 10 vans operating from depots in Park Royal (West London), Central London and Enfield (North London). The Felix Project currently works with 87 suppliers and 98 charities who provide food and support to 20,700 people, and is continually expanding to work with more partners, to provide more meals for more people.
- The Felix Project is funded by donations from individuals, corporate supporters and the Felix Byam Shaw Foundation. It was founded in memory of Felix Byam Shaw who died suddenly from meningitis, and recognises the compassion he had for people without the same advantages as him.
- More information is available at www.thefelixproject.org
About surplus food and food poverty
- WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme2, estimates that more than 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year. At the same time, food poverty is a huge and growing problem in London, with 18% or one in five London pupils at risk of hunger every day3.
1 Registered Charity No. 1168183
2 The Food Waste Recycling Action Plan, www.wrap.org.uk/content/food-waste-recycling-action-plan
3 London Food Poverty Profile report by Sustain, Beyond the Food Bank