With food poverty on the rise in the UK, many more people are turning to food banks and looking for food charities to help feed themselves and their families.
There are lots of charities and organisations providing access to free food. At FoodCycle, we’re committed to helping people who are hungry or lonely get a delicious, nutritious three-course meal once a week; cooked and served for them by volunteers who also offer company and good conversation.
Our weekly community dining service not only provides free food to anyone that needs it. It also helps reduce loneliness and tackles reduce food waste by using surplus food – food which is fine to eat, but can’t be sold by the retailer.
To find out more about FoodCycle, and how you can find a free meal near you:
To visit a food bank, you usually need to be referred, and get a food voucher. Food banks work with doctors, social workers, health visitors and Citizens Advice to refer you to a food bank if they think you need free food. They will ask for some basic information about you to help them understand why you need support, and to make sure you get the right free food.
Find a Food Bank – The Trussell Trust
Find a Food Bank — Bankuet ®
Independent food banks map – Independent Food Aid Network UK
If you, or someone you know, is homeless or struggling to eat or access food, there are soup kitchens across the UK which offer free meals.
There isn’t a complete UK database of soup kitchens, as most of them are independent, but you can usually search in your area to find one. You can also try asking at your local community centre, church or at Citizens Advice.
To visit a FoodCycle community meal, you don’t need a voucher or any kind of referral. You can just turn up, sit down and enjoy tasty, hot, free food with other people from your community.
Perhaps you’re just in need of some friendly conversation, or would like to have a meal cooked for you. Whatever your reason, you’ll find a warm welcome.
One of the simplest ways to donate food to charity is to donate food to food banks. is one of the UK’s biggest free food networks and over 90% of the food they distribute is donated by the public.
There are many other charity food banks in the UK, and you’ll often find a box in your local supermarket where you can donate food (they usually have a list on the box telling you what they need that week).
The type of food that you can donate to charity food banks will depend on their service, it’s usually things like cereals, soup, pasta, rice or other tinned goods.
There are many homeless shelters around the UK, so there are far too many options for donating food to homeless shelters to list here.
The most important thing to remember is that different shelters will have different needs and rules on what they can accept (usually linked to food safety rules).
Some shelters will operate soup kitchens, and may only operate on certain days.
They best thing to do if you want to donate food to a homeless shelter, or volunteer to help, is to contact your local shelter and talk to them about the ways in which you can help.
If you’d like to help FoodCycle provide free food for people in your local area, the best way to do that is to sign up to be a volunteer. We have a variety of roles from surplus food collection, cooking, hosting or even helping out with our social media – take a look at our volunteering opportunities below.
We are only able to accept food donations from supermarkets, small independent grocery shops and markets – unlike food banks, we can’t accept food donations from members of the public.
Join our FoodCycle community 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.
Huge congratulations to Carly and her brother Liam, who took on a 2km open water swim at Rutland Water to raise funds for FoodCycle and smashed it! (We think there was a little bit of sibling rivalry at play)
We’re incredibly proud of Carly, who lives and breathes FoodCycle in every way. She’s been part of our team for 5 years and knows just how powerful our meals can be. For some, it’s the only cooked meal they’ll have that week, and the only chance to connect with others.
This swim, taken in memory of their dad, has raised over £1,200 to help tackle food waste, food poverty and loneliness.
👏 Well done Carly and Liam
👏 Thank you to everyone who has donated so far
💚 Every penny makes a difference
If you`re planning a fundraising event for FoodCycle, we`d love to hear about it!
#foodcycle #rutlandwater #Swimming #communitymeal #fightfoodwaste #sustainable #fundraising #justgiving
Leftover courgettes languishing in the fridge?
Try this no-waste courgette recipe for your next BBQ.
Get the full recipe in the bio.
#Courgette #CourgetteDip #DipRecipe
Serving food, saving waste, and spreading kindness 🫛❤️
This summer, we need more amazing people like Sue to help us cook, serve and connect with communities across the country.
Whether you`re a kitchen whizz or just keen to lend a hand, every session makes a difference.
Join us for a summer full of purpose, people and peas.
Sign up to volunteer today.
#summervolunteers #volunteering #fightfoodwaste
Make courgettes the star of the show 🌟
What would you dip in this?
Maybe some 🥕
or some sticks of 🥒
Tell us below!
-----------------
Ingredients
500g Greek yoghurt
1 courgette(s) (boiled and cooled)
1 garlic clove(s) (crushed)
1 bunch(es) of fresh dill (chopped)
0.5 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 handful(s) of olives
1 tsp olive oil
Method
Mix the yoghurt, courgette (finely chopped), garlic, dill, oregano and red wine vinegar together in a bowl.
Make a dip with the back of the spoon in the middle of the bowl and fill with olive oil.
Garnish with olives if you’ve got them to hand.
Serve with flatbreads/pitta bread.
#Tzatziki #courgette #courgetterecipe #partydip #diprecipe #homemadedip
Meet Nathan, a cooking volunteer at FoodCycle Hucknall and Broxtowe-Aspley in Nottinghamshire.
At 44, Nathan was looking to shake off the routine of work and do something more fulfilling with his time. He joined FoodCycle to give back, but found much more than he expected – growing in confidence, building new skills and rediscovering his passion for cooking.
Volunteering has even inspired a new career, as Nathan recently became a volunteer co-ordinator for his local council.
We love hearing how FoodCycle makes a difference not just for guests, but for our incredible volunteers too.
Join us and make a real difference in your community.
#Nottingham #community #communitymeal #freemeal #volunteering #Hucknall #BroxtoweAspley
Halfway there, Harry! 🏃♂️🔥
Huge shoutout to Harry Barham who recently completed his 5th half marathon in his epic challenge to run 10 half marathons in support of FoodCycle and FareShare North East – that’s 131 miles in total!
His most recent run was a scorcher, but Harry powered through with determination and a whole lot of heart.
He’s running to help tackle food waste, food poverty and support stronger communities and he’s already halfway to the finish line.
Let’s cheer him on and help him hit that fundraising goal 💚
Donate here at giveasyoulive.com and search "harry runs 25"
#HarryRuns25 #fundraising #halfmarathon #foodcycle #communitymeals
FoodCycle has given me a great sense of purpose.” 💚
Meet Rosie, a 73-year-old volunteer from Worcester who joined FoodCycle to give back in her retirement, and found so much more.
From building confidence in the kitchen to making new friends, Rosie says volunteering has become a meaningful and joyful part of her week.
“I really enjoy every session. I can’t always go weekly, but FoodCycle is so flexible – you just sign up when you can. I tell everyone I know about it!”
Thank you, Rosie, for being such a valued part of the FoodCycle family.
Head to the link in the bio to join us.
#summervolunteers #foodcycle #communitymeal #fightfoodwaste #volunteering #worcester
Friendships that go beyond the kitchen 💚
We absolutely loved seeing this update from our brilliant Clacton volunteers, who spent a sunny evening in Frinton enjoying a walking quiz, fish and chips, and plenty of laughs!
Sixteen of the team came together for a bit of friendly competition and fun, followed by a delicious beach hut supper and lots of chat about FoodCycle with curious passers-by.
Moments like these show just how strong the sense of community is among our volunteers. It’s more than just cooking and serving meals, it’s about connection, friendship and supporting one another.
Thank you to everyone who made the evening so special. We’re lucky to have such a wonderful Clacton crew!
#Foodcycle #Clacton #FoodWaste #Frinton #Community #MakingFriends
Not all heroes wear capes, some rock an apron and hairnet and whip up a mean pasta bake...
Join our volunteer team and help cook, serve or simply lend a hand. Whether it’s chopping veggies, plating up meals or washing up, it all makes a difference.
Join us for a Summer of Peas & Love. 🫛❤️
Do good, feel good, volunteer with us this summer.
Head to the link in the bio to register and have the best summer ever.
#SummerGoals #SummerVolunteers #Community #CommunityKitchen #FreeMeal #FoodCycle
🎾 A huge shoutout to our friends at Danone for treating some of our amazing volunteers (and a few staff too!) to an unforgettable day at Wimbledon 💚
On 5th July, a group of lucky volunteers from all over the country were picked in a random draw and got to enjoy top tennis action plus a tasty lunch and afternoon tea.
We’re so grateful to Danone for recognising the time, care and energy our volunteers give every week. You are the heart of FoodCycle and we love being able to say thank you in fun and meaningful ways like this.
Here’s to more memories, more meals and more community 💫
#FoodCycle #ThankYouDanone #Wimbledon
Registered charity No. 1134423 | Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
Registered charity No. 1134423
Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
