The UK’s first social supermarket and a leading surplus food charity have announced a new partnership to stop more food from going to waste.
Community Shop, a social enterprise which runs the UK’s first network of social supermarkets, and FoodCycle, a national volunteer-powered charity, are launching FoodCycle Hubs in every Community Shop across the country.
FoodCycle, launched in 2009, works to reduce social isolation, food waste and food poverty by building stronger communities.
There are 20 existing FoodCycle Hubs across the UK. At FoodCycle Hubs, volunteers cook three-course meals for the vulnerable in the local community at no cost. The model will now also be run from every Community Shop store, with volunteers from both organisations coming together to prepare and cook meals for up to 40 of each store’s members.
Community Shop launched in December 2013 as the UK’s first social supermarket. It now operates two stores – in Lambeth, south London, and Goldthorpe, south Yorkshire – which operate on a membership basis and are open to people in receipt of welfare support, who live in socio-economically deprived communities.
Members have access to low-cost supermarket stocked with high-quality surplus food from leading retailers and brands, including Marks and Spencer, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, and Ocado.
The stores, however, are about more than just food; they also provide members with a variety of personalised support services, including help with CV writing, employability, home budgeting and debt management.
Community Shop has plans to expand its network across the country.
Now Community Shop members who have come forward as volunteers will also have the opportunity to learn how to prepare food, share their cookery skills, practise their leadership skills, work in a team, and have access to relevant formal training and qualifications, in the FoodCycle Hubs that will operate in every store.
Community Shop MD, Mark Game, said:“We are very excited to announce our partnership with FoodCycle on this ground-breaking project, which will enable both organisations to achieve even greater impact in communities across the UK.
“Not only will the FoodCycle Hub provide Community Shop members with delicious hot meals, but it will also open up opportunities for members to volunteer and develop their skill set, build their confidence and embed themselves in the heart of their community.”
Mary McGrath, CEO at FoodCycle, said:“FoodCycle aims to build stronger communities by combining volunteers, surplus food and local community kitchen spaces to cook nutritious three course meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation.
'We are delighted to be working with Community Shop to support local people to develop and run local FoodCycle Hubs. In doing this local people develop practical skills that develop both confidence and self-esteem, while also building relationships within the community.”
No comments yet