With more than 60 branches and more than 8,000 volunteers across the UK, Foodcycle is a charity that uses surplus food to create nutritious meals for communities.
And in 2025 alone, FoodCycle has saved more than 300 tonnes of food from landfills while creating safe spaces for people of backgrounds to come together and have a delicious three-course meal in.
The volunteer-led charity prides itself on being more than just a soup kitchen – at the heart of the organisation lies human connection, with almost 80% of FoodCycle enjoyers reporting feeling happier after sharing a meal.
FoodCycle’s Area Manager for London and the South East Alix Guerber said: “We’re as much about coming for the company as for the free food.
“It’s not just volunteers in the kitchen and guests in the hall. We hope everyone sits down to share at least a bit of the meal and chat to everyone who is there.”
Volunteers are how FoodCycle were able to serve almost 76,000 meals across London and the South East served last year.
This summer, they have launched their ‘Summer of Peas and Love’ campaign where cooks, servers, washer-uppers and any keen volunteers are encouraged to sign up and join in tackling hunger and loneliness in the capital.
They have meal locations across south west London in Fulham, White City, Roehampton, and Wandsworth.
Alix praised the clear, positive impact the volunteers have on attendees and described a time when a grieving recent widow arrived at a FoodCycle meal after being encouraged to join by a friend.
Alix said she used this time to take the woman’s mind away from grief for just an hour for a meal.
Alix said: “She could be in a space in which she didn’t have to pretend to be okay or not okay, there wouldn’t be any expectations on her.”
“The thought of being a steady community there for her, it definitely felt we were doing something right.”
Being reliable hubs of connection has been central to FoodCycle’s ethos since the start, and were tried and tested during the pandemic.
They set up check-in chats for participants and even delivered food and support to their doorsteps – proof of FoodCycle’s commitment.
And the joy doesn’t end there – romance even has sparked between FoodCycle volunteers Chadana and Dan!
Dan said: “Being around people who have similar interests, you’d hope a relationship might form.”
You can find out where your local meal location is here.
Anyone over 18 can register to volunteer with FoodCycle here and you can donate here.
Featured image credit: Deb James
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