UK Food Charities Face Real Challenges in Feeding the Most Vulnerable
by Sangeeta Haindl
Neighbourly, the social network for social good reveals in its latest survey that 218 UK food charities face real challenges in helping to feed society’s most vulnerable: lack of storage, refrigeration, transport and funding are limiting the voluntary sector’s ability to do more for those in need of food. Collectively, these organisations help to feed over 30,000 people every week, equivalent to 1.56 million meals per year, and face major challenges trying to tackle the country’s food poverty.
The report gives a telling snapshot of the sector’s needs, highlighting the lack of comprehensive national data covering the UK’s surplus food redistribution sector and its capacity to meet current demand. It is published to coincide with the start of a review of the Guidance on the application of date labels to food, started this month at a cross industry workshop hosted by the Food Standards Agency and Neighbourly with representatives from the Food Foundation, WRAP, food charities and major UK food retailers. This review will explore whether any improvements in food safety labelling and guidance, or better education around it, might increase the volume of surplus fresh food donated and used by the voluntary sector.
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Photo Credit: Neighbourly
Sangeeta Haindl writes on women and children; social innovation; social enterprise and social entrepreneurs. She has a particular interest in India. She is the founder of Serendipity PR, in London, U.K., where she works with high-profile brands and organizations in the public, non-profit, and corporate sectors, winning awards for her work from the communications industry. She is was until recently chairman of London's leading conscious well-being organisation, Alternatives, which hosts leading speakers such as Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch and many other well-known names. She describes herself as a Spiritual Entrepreneur, Conscious Explorer; enjoying helping others, paying it forward and being a mum.
