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A soup kitchen is a place where free food is served for people who are homeless or who can’t afford to feed themselves. There are soup kitchens all over the UK and the world, and every day millions of people worldwide rely on them for food.
Soup kitchens are often run by charities, community centres or church communities, and they rely on donations of food from the public and from food retailers, as well as soup kitchen volunteers to cook and serve the food. Although we cook and serve free food, and rely on our amazing volunteers, FoodCycle is different from a soup kitchen.
FoodCycle is about community dining, we invite people to come inside to sit and enjoy a meal in a safe, welcoming space. Week in, week out we provide delicious meals and great conversation, using surplus food which would otherwise go to waste.
Whilst a soup kitchen often serves just that – soup and some bread – at FoodCycle we provided a three-course vegetarian meal, and our hosting volunteers make sure every guest, from every walk of life, feels welcome and has the opportunity not just to enjoy a meal and a conversation in good company.
If you’ve ever thought about becoming a volunteer at a soup kitchen, you might also be interested in opportunities for volunteer cooking with FoodCycle. We welcome volunteers and guests from all backgrounds and walks of life.
If you love cooking and want to find a fun way to make a difference in your community why not become a cooking volunteer for one of our Projects?
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an experienced chef or a kitchen novice, you can still volunteer. We’ll train you and you can join a kitchen team making a three-course vegetarian meal once a week using surplus food donated by our local partners.
Join our FoodCycle family in the best way for you.
Subscribe to get the latest news, volunteering opportunities, events and updates sent to your inbox each month. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Double your impact. Fight food waste. Feed communities. 💚
We’re thrilled to be part of The Big Give Green Match Fund, launching next Tuesday!
🌱 From 22nd to 29th April, every pound you donate to FoodCycle through The Big Give will be match-funded.
In partnership with the Environmental Funders Network (EFN), this incredible campaign supports charities tackling urgent environmental issues – and we’re proud to be one of them.
Your donations will help us:
🥦 Rescue surplus food
🍽️ Serve hot, nutritious meals
🤝 Bring communities together
Let’s turn food waste into something wonderful.
🔗 Find out more and get ready to donate via the link in the bio
#TheBigGive #GreenMatchFund #FoodCycle #Sustainable #Comunity #GreenProjects
Not into cooking? No problem!
You can support us and our projects in many ways, and cooking up a storm is just one of them.
You could:
🥕 Collect and deliver surplus food
🥕 Be a host and welcome people
🥕 Fundraise to support our vital work
Of course, you can get involved in the kitchen by cooking, preparing, cleaning up, and everything in between.
Got more questions about volunteering? Head over to the link in the bio
You can also help support us by following us and sharing our posts.
#Volunteer #Community #VolunteerOpportunities #VolunteerRoles #CommunityMeal
Thanks to your energy, compassion and dedication, our 2024 Impact Report is bursting with achievements worth celebrating 👏
Here’s what you helped make happen last year:
🍽️ 162,991 meals served, made from surplus food
🌍 320 tonnes of food saved from waste
💪 Over 8,700 volunteers gave 162,810 hours of their time
🏫 20 new projects launched, including 3 in schools
📈 30% more guests came to share food and conversation
🏆 We were named Charity of the Year – twice!
None of it would be possible without our amazing volunteer community. Whether you cooked, hosted, collected food or cheered us on – you’ve made a real, lasting difference.
Want to see the full impact, read inspiring guest stories and find out what’s next?
👉 Tap the link in bio
#FoodCycle #Sustainable #ImpactReport #Community #CommunityMeals #Landfill
A big shout out to the team at the Reading Project!
One of the guests reached out to offer some lovely words of support.
"Please mention the Reading team. They have not been going long, but they do an amazing job. All the volunteers are friendly and it is a lovely community. Thank you Reading!"
Well done to everyone involved with the Reading Project :-)
#Reading #ReadingCity #ReadingFoodcycle #Foodcycle #CommunityMeal
This week (and every week at FoodCycle) is National Food Waste Action Week. 🌎
So we just wanted to remind you that our community meals are cooked up using surplus food that was otherwise headed for the bin 😮
This week at our Kingstanding community meal 34 guests enjoyed a menu of...
🥕 Veggie loaded soup
🍝 Sunday roasts with Cauliflower cheese
🍰 Cake and Custard
Small changes make a BIG impact! Whether it`s blending come extra veg into soup or finding creative ways to use surplus ingredients, every action helps.
#FoodWasteActionWeek
Food Waste Action Week: Make the Most of Your Food! 🥕🍞🥦
Did you know that here at FoodCycle we have a whole section of delicious recipes to help you reduce food waste? From using up leftovers to making the most of every ingredient, our recipes are here to help you save food, money, and the planet!
Check them out now this #FoodWasteActionWeek and transform your extras into something extraordinary.
🔗 Link in bio!
💚 This #InternationalWomensDay, we’re celebrating the incredible women who give their time, energy, and passion to FoodCycle community meals.
#AccelerateAction, reminds us that real change happens when people step up. These inspiring volunteers do just that - taking action in their communities and making a real difference.
🌟 Joan – FoodCycle Middlesbrough Breckon Hill
Known as ‘Nan’ to many at her local FoodCycle project, (FoodCycle Breckon Hill in Middlesbrough), retired nurse Joan brings positive energy to everyone she meets as a hosting volunteer.
Joan says: “I like working with people, and feeling that I am being of some use. It’s wonderful, you meet lovely people and you’re helping your community… It’s just nice to know that you’ve helped somebody.”
🌟 Asli – FoodCycle Schools – Ark Globe, London
Asli is a FoodCycle hosting lead at the London school where she’s also a teacher. She finds joy in seeing pupils and their families coming together each week.
Asli says: “Ever since I first heard of it, I`ve been obsessed with FoodCycle! I just love the idea that we can make food out of what`s given to us, and share it with the community.”
🌟 Ashliegh – FoodCycle Salford
Ashleigh is a Project Leader, who has not only volunteered 270+ hours her local community meal, but also fundraised £3,000!
Ashleigh says: “FoodCycle is so important for our community because it brings people from all walks of life together. It’s for absolutely anyone and everyone, and we basically all just come together for one really lovely night and sit and have a chat and tell stories and swap stores and it really is just amazing.”
💚 To all the incredible women who power FoodCycle – thank you for your dedication, kindness, and action. You inspire us every day!
Want to join? Sign up to volunteer via #linkinbio
#FoodCycle #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2025 #Volunteering #Community
What a wonderful evening serving 23 guests at Prestwich.
Using surplus food our incredible team of volunteers served...
🥕 Thickly sliced root vegetable soup with bread
🥗 Italian pesto with @Quorn_uk, paprika, roasted potatoes, and a fresh side salad
🍎 Fruit salad with chocolate ice cream
Special shoutout to Lauren and Veronica for doing an incredible job hosting for the first time - well done!
Join your local team today 🔗 Link in bio
Absolute legends! 👏🚴♀️
Our amazing food cyclist volunteers in Bristol don’t let a little rain slow them down!
They hopped on their bikes and collected lots of fresh fruit and veg for their local community meal.
A big shoutout to @betterfoodco for their generous donation of gorgeous organic broccoli and locally grown greens. As we head into spring, we’re excited to see what delicious British-grown produce will be on the menu.
Fancy joining us as a food delivery volunteer? Hit the link in our bio to find out more!
Registered charity No. 1134423 | Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
Registered charity No. 1134423
Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
