Latest news with #FoodCycle
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Cambridge and Peterborough meals charity calls for volunteers
A charity that helps to tackle hunger and loneliness is urgently seeking which provides a weekly community meal in Peterborough and Cambridge, said it needs to fill about 10,000 volunteering slots to the charity, the demand for its services has risen by 17 per cent in the UK in the past Tebbets, FoodCycle's chief executive, said: "Every summer we see a drop in volunteer numbers. This summer, the need is greater than ever." The charity said it is encouraging people to sign up to volunteer as cooks, servers, and pot washers as part of their 'Summer of Peas & Love' launching in 2016, the Peterborough branch has served about 25,000 meals and saved 140 tonnes of surplus food."It is shocking that three-quarters of the guests we surveyed last year said they could not afford to buy the food they need," Ms Tebbets guests in Peterborough said: "I would starve and may not have food to eat. That is the reality." Cate, a volunteer in Peterborough, said: "I like that we are not a food bank. We do not just hand out food, we actually prepare a meal."We have flowers on the table, and proper cutlery and proper plates, so it is an experience for guests to enjoy something that is not just a handout in a cardboard box."She added: "I feel that it has enriched my life as much as I hope it enriches the guests." Since launching in Cambridge in 2021, FoodCycle has served about 8,000 meals and saved 20 tonnes of surplus food guest said they "always look forward to Saturday, if not, I do not bother to cook much". Another added that without the weekly meal they would be "forced to go elsewhere for company".Volunteering roles are open for people 18 and over, with no minimum weekly commitment. The charity added that no experience is needed and training is community meals are held at St Andrew's Street Baptist Church in Cambridge on Saturdays at 12:30 BST, and at Park Road Baptist Church in Peterborough on Mondays at 12:30. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
South Wales Argus
10-07-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
FoodCycle appeal for volunteers in Newport and Cardiff
FoodCycle needs more helpers to combat a 'summer volunteering slump' and assist in transforming surplus food into meals for the community. The meals are vegetarian and made using surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. Demand for these meals has risen by 17 percent in the last year, as more people experience the impact of the high cost of living and loneliness. The Newport FoodCycle runs on Tuesdays at Community House on Eton Road, with other projects in Ely and Riverside in Cardiff. Regular volunteer Gareth Williams said: "Some people need this because they can't put a meal on their table. "Other people are lonely, and this gives them a purpose to put their coat on and come out. "Week in, week out, in all weathers they depend on us, so I feel we make a massive difference to the local area." FoodCycle's CEO Sophie Tebbets said: "Every summer, we see a drop in volunteer numbers. At the same time, demand for our meals continues to rise. "We know what a huge difference our community meals make – alleviating hunger, loneliness and food waste, while boosting mental wellbeing and building stronger communities." FoodCycle is inviting people to make this a 'Summer of Peas & Love' by volunteering. No experience is needed, and even a couple of hours a month can make a significant difference. To volunteer, or for more information, visit the FoodCycle website. All sessions start at 6.30pm.
Times
03-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Don't be afraid to be ambitious, whatever that looks like for you
As one of the UK's youngest CEOs, Sophie Tebbetts took charge of charity FoodCycle aged just 34. The organisation helps transform surplus food into healthy meals in a community setting helps guests save on food and electricity bills. Here are Sophie's tips to gain your own place at the table. 1. People often undervalue what they are capable of. Don't be afraid to be ambitious, whatever that looks like for you. If the worst outcome is that you tried and learnt a lot, then that ambition has paid off. 2. Don't let perfection stop progress. Plans are important but don't be too rigid. Trying to devise a 'perfect plan' can sometimes stop you getting started. Moving forward allows you to learn, which will lead to better outcomes. 3. Community is essential. Strong support networks are so important for wellbeing. Creating a culture where staff feel supported and part of a community with shared values creates environments where people can learn from each other and develop ideas. 4. Everybody eats — find a connection. Discovering those points of commonality with people allows you to build open relationships, sparking ideas and challenging your own assumptions. 5. Have a laugh, it's not all about work. Try to inject humour where you can and remember smiles are infectious. Allow employees to balance their own personal and professional responsibilities. It shows that you recognise life outside of work is important, which builds trust and loyalty. 6. Listening is underrated. You'll get the best insight into your operations by listening to people you interact with, whether that's colleagues, beneficiaries or stakeholders.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
BBC Young Reporter looks into scale of food waste
The BBC Yorkshire Young Reporter is Isabella, a sixth form student from Sheffield. She has been researching the issue of food poverty and recently visited a charity in Barnsley, which is trying to cut the amount of decent food being thrown away in our region. The scale of food waste is absolutely staggering. The United Nations estimate that 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year, while many others struggle with food insecurity. Food waste is a massive issue that affects everybody and, as a Venezuelan, I've seen what food poverty can do to communities. Learning about the organisations that are working to help tackle this issue, I was filled with hope and wanted to find out more. I visited FareShare, a charity in Barnsley that receives 2,000 tonnes of surplus food donations from manufacturers and supermarkets each year. They redistribute food that would otherwise go to landfill. There are many reasons why perfectly good food like this may end up in the bin. BBC Young Reporter: Find out more about the scheme Fareshare's deputy chief executive, Jonathan Williams, says "human error" is sometimes to blame, though mistakes in packaging and labelling are also a factor. "In a lot of cases it can be they (manufacturers) have estimated what the customer demand will be and they've got it wrong. "Even though the food industry is a very competitive industry, there is a great deal of waste within it," he adds. Despite its hard work, Fareshare says its efforts to limit food waste are "only the tip of the iceberg". The charity sends the food donations to projects like FoodCycle. It has nine community meal projects in Yorkshire and provides a free, three-course lunch at the Broomhall Centre in Sheffield every Wednesday. FoodCycle depends on its volunteers, who turn the donations of food into a delicious lunch. I was able to enjoy curried vegetable soup, mushroom stroganoff and apple crumble. Sophie Aoun is FoodCycle's regional manager for Yorkshire and helps to co-ordinate the weekly meals. She says: "It is bonkers frankly that in the sixth richest country in the world you have so much surplus food that is a biproduct of a badly designed food system. Yet there's also still this food poverty." Sophie works alongside Saffron Knight, who has been volunteering at FoodCycle for three months and is a part of the team cooking when I visit. Saffron says the volunteering is the "highlight" of her week. She says: "I was a nutrition student and really passionate about food waste and food poverty and trying to bring fruit and veg to people who might not have access to it. "After I leave, I'm tired but in a good way and I just feel really inspired." Those who visit FoodCycle for a good square meal are positive about it too. Bryan Johnson, who has been coming for two years, says the project is "a win-win for everybody". Samantha Earnshaw, meanwhile, gives the meal "11 out of 10" but adds that she visits for "the company and the friends". Seeing projects like FoodCycle, which bring the community together while helping to tackle food waste, was inspirational. There is clearly a long way to go, but charities here in Yorkshire are working hard to help. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Food waste charity opens Surrey warehouse Charities to get £15m to save surplus farm food
BBC News
05-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
How FareShare in Barnsley is tackling food waste in Yorkshire
The BBC Yorkshire Young Reporter is Isabella, a sixth form student from Sheffield. She has been researching the issue of food poverty and recently visited a charity in Barnsley, which is trying to cut the amount of decent food being thrown away in our scale of food waste is absolutely staggering. The United Nations estimate that 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK each year, while many others struggle with food insecurity. Food waste is a massive issue that affects everybody and, as a Venezuelan, I've seen what food poverty can do to communities. Learning about the organisations that are working to help tackle this issue, I was filled with hope and wanted to find out more. The charity sends the food donations to projects like FoodCycle. It has nine community meal projects in Yorkshire and provides a free, three-course lunch at the Broomhall Centre in Sheffield every Wednesday. FoodCycle depends on its volunteers, who turn the donations of food into a delicious lunch. I was able to enjoy curried vegetable soup, mushroom stroganoff and apple crumble. Sophie Aoun is FoodCycle's regional manager for Yorkshire and helps to co-ordinate the weekly meals. She says: "It is bonkers frankly that in the sixth richest country in the world you have so much surplus food that is a biproduct of a badly designed food system. Yet there's also still this food poverty." Sophie works alongside Saffron Knight, who has been volunteering at FoodCycle for three months and is a part of the team cooking when I visit. Saffron says the volunteering is the "highlight" of her says: "I was a nutrition student and really passionate about food waste and food poverty and trying to bring fruit and veg to people who might not have access to it. "After I leave, I'm tired but in a good way and I just feel really inspired." Those who visit FoodCycle for a good square meal are positive about it too. Bryan Johnson, who has been coming for two years, says the project is "a win-win for everybody".Samantha Earnshaw, meanwhile, gives the meal "11 out of 10" but adds that she visits for "the company and the friends".Seeing projects like FoodCycle, which bring the community together while helping to tackle food waste, was inspirational. There is clearly a long way to go, but charities here in Yorkshire are working hard to to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
