Leicester Emergency Food network gets cash investment

Action Homeless have been successful in their application to the Food Waste Reduction Fund and have been awarded a grant of £69,569 to support the development of Leicester’s Emergency Food Partnership.

The funding, which is being administered by WRAP, will bring much needed investment into Leicester’s Emergency Food network which comprises of over 20 food banks and food projects who support individuals and families in food poverty.

The money will pay for improved coordination, enabling the partnership to forge new links with food retailers and producers to increase the amount of food available to food banks.  It will also support logistics, paying for a new van and storage facility to improve food sharing and finally will offer food banks an opportunity to modernise and upgrade their premises and equipment so that it is fit for purpose and able to cope with ever growing demand.

Tim Adkin, Action Homeless, said ‘We are thrilled to have secured this funding. It will allow us to unlock new sources of surplus food and stop good food going to waste. It will also mean that we can continue to support people who are struggling on a daily basis to put food on the table. It is a win win!’

The Leicester Emergency Food Partnership, chaired by Action Homeless, provides support to an estimated 9000 people in crisis and handles around 104 tonnes of surplus and donated food every year. The grant from WRAP will enable the partnership to redistribute more food and ensure that people in food poverty have access to an excellent range and quality of food in Leicester.