The festive period is that time of year where you always feel full. Full of good food, and full of cheer & laughter. It is a time of year that you associate with togetherness filled with family and friends. It is the most wonderful feeling and one that everyone deserves to experience year on year.
Sadly though, not everyone feels full at this time of year. Now more than ever, the most vulnerable in our communities are suffering from food poverty meaning that they cannot access or cannot afford the food needed to make up a healthy diet, and are going hungry. In 2019, it was estimated that almost two million Londoners were suffering from food poverty7. Due to the pandemic the Food Foundation predicts that the number of people who are food insecure in the UK has quadrupled8 and if unemployment rates increase, we could see a further 350,00 adults fall into this group9. Since 2015, FEAST have been working in boroughs across London to provide meals to vulnerable people all year round
Alongside addressing food poverty, one of our core objectives is to minimise food waste. During the festive period in the UK, vast amounts of food goes to waste each year. The Big Issue estimates that some two million turkeys, five million Christmas puddings and over 74 million mince pies end up in landfill10. To tackle this issue we have partnerships with food distributors and retailers who provide us with food surplus to make our meals for vulnerable people across London. Since October 2018 we have intercepted almost 13,700kg food from going straight to landfill. So, we hope during this festive season we will be able to save of some of the perfectly edible treats and give them to someone who is hungry and in need.
Another key aim has always been to promote community cohesion, as our service users are often some of the most isolated in the community. The COVID-19 crisis has meant that we have altered the way in which we work, and are now running a food parcel delivery service, instead of a shared community meal. With the help of our generous volunteers, we have been able to maintain a sense of community and togetherness during these troubling times and we hope that by receiving essential food during the festive period people will feel more connected and know that they are not alone.
According to Statista, in 2019 a Christmas meal for eight people cost on average £3111. This works out at as close to £4 per person. So, this year we are asking you to donate a £4 Christmas FEAST to someone during the winter period. Your support will allow us to provide individuals who use our service with a Christmas meal this year, and for many years to come.
The festive period is an important time to feel connected and well fed. However, food poverty is prevalent all year round and so every donation will enable us to ‘Give a FEAST’ to someone that needs it this Christmas and beyond.
