Food For London Now appeal reaches £3.5m to feed the hungry

But crisis gets worse   You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW

Our appeal to feed vulnerable Londoners surged past £3.5 million today as new research showed that the hunger crisis blighting London has deepened.

More than one in 10 families in London reported that at least one person in their household has gone hungry during lockdown because they could not afford or get access to food, according to a YouGov poll for the Food Foundation charity. This equates to 130,000 families citywide.

These figures would in all likelihood have been much worse if not for the lifeline provided by our Food For London Now appeal partner The Felix Project, whose efforts have been boosted by the help of Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Felix has quadrupled its food supply to vulnerable Londoners. New data shows that in the five weeks from lockdown to the end of April, Felix delivered 810 tonnes of surplus food, the equivalent of two million meals.

It amounts to just over half the 3.6 million meals supplied by the three members of the London Food Alliance — FareShare, City Harvest and Felix — and involves deliveries to 1,508 charities and schools and 53 giant community hubs run by local authorities.

Major new donations to our appeal include £100,000 from The Daylesford Foundation and a further £110,000 from Citi on top of the £50,000 it has already given.

Carole Bamford, founder of The Daylesford Foundation, said: “At a time when some families are going for days without a proper meal, the critical work of The Felix Project is needed now more than ever.

“The surplus food they obtain is being delivered direct to people’s doors — including those who have lost jobs, are on low incomes or are sick.

“They include struggling families, key workers, older people who are isolated, people who are homeless, survivors of domestic abuse and refugees.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge joins Felix Project volunteers - in pictures

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“We have worked with The Felix Project for four years and are delighted to provide further support at this time.”

The additional Citi money includes funds donated by employees at the bank and £100,000 from their European rates business which gave €1 for every €1 million traded electronically in March and April.

Matt Jerman, Citi’s head of European Linear rates, said: “The continuing challenges posed by this pandemic have led to unprecedented pressure on food charities.

“Our funds will provide meals for families deeply impacted by the pandemic, as well as front line health and social care workers.

“We unite with many to support this vital cause and the essential work being done by The Felix Project.”

Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, said that society risked “leaving children behind in conversations about emergency support and they’re falling through the cracks as a result”.

Dr Rachel Loopstra, lecturer in nutrition at King’s College London, said: “It’s clear from the data, as well as trends in food bank use, that families with children are really struggling right now.

Watching parents struggle to put food on the table and go without food themselves is devastating for children.”

Last week the Standard pledged to raise £10 million to help The Felix Project feed Londoners who are unable to afford or access enough food over the next three years.

Our campaign in a nutshell

WHAT ARE WE DOING? We have launched Food For London Now, an appeal to fund the delivery of food to poor, elderly and vulnerable Londoners who are unable to afford food or are confined to home and at high risk of losing their lives from catching the coronavirus. Monies raised go to our appeal partner, The Felix Project, London’s biggest food surplus distributor, which is part of a co-ordinated food distribution effort taking place across London. The appeal is under the auspices of the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund and run by the London Community Foundation, which manages the Fund.

HOW DOES THE SCHEME WORK? The London Food Alliance has been set up by the Felix Project together with the capital’s two other largest food surplus distributors — FareShare and City Harvest — to pick up nutritious surplus food from suppliers and deliver it in bulk to community hubs in each borough.

HOW WILL FOOD GET TO PEOPLE? Each borough will create hubs to receive the surplus food, divide it into food parcels and deliver them to the doorstep of vulnerable Londoners.

WHO WILL GET FOOD? Boroughs are in touch with local charities, foodbanks and community centres as well as the government to ascertain who is most vulnerable and in need.

HOW HAVE THE FOOD REDISTRIBUTORS DIVIDED UP LONDON? Felix is responsible for co-ordinating surplus supply across 14 boroughs, FareShare 12 and City Harvest 7.

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