FoodCycle Staff Team

Jess joined the FoodCycle team in August 2020. Jess is passionate about the role of communities in supporting the most vulnerable and believes in the power of a shared meal to bring people together. She was previously Corporate Partnerships Manager at children’s charity Coram, developing key partnerships with organisations including McCarthy & Stone. When she’s not working with the brilliant FoodCycle team and supporters, Jess loves exploring London on foot or by bike and going to art galleries. She is also a Trustee for the refugee education charity, refugeeEd.

Tom joined FoodCycle in November 2019. He spent the previous six years (bar an eight-month jaunt around South and Central America) working in Trusts and Foundations fundraising, securing income from all different types of funders. Tom joined FoodCycle because he is passionate about the environment and loves the unique way the charity brings people together. Outside of work, Tom is a long-suffering Fulham fan, loves running, long walks and is a bit of a politics obsessive

Amanda joined FoodCycle in October 2024. Her charity background is in grants and legacy fundraising and Amanda has worked for international, national and local charities. What interested Amanda in FoodCycle was the concept of community dining as a means to address loneliness, alongside tackling food poverty and food waste. Whilst not known for her cooking skills, Amanda did once run front-of-house at a restaurant start up and loved building relationships with customers, so she is looking forward to the ‘hosting’ side of FoodCycle and getting to know guests and volunteers. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys travel, star gazing, art history and music, and sleeping.

Hannah joined FoodCycle in January 2023. While studying History and International Relations at Loughborough University, she volunteered with ‘Kid’s Cooking’ projects at the local soup kitchen. During this time, Hannah discovered her fondness for working alongside her local community and the importance of food in bring us all together. When she is not working Hannah enjoys running, exploring London and travelling the world!

With over a decade of experience at Cancer Research UK, Benita brings a strong background in community fundraising to her role at FoodCycle. During her time there, she managed large-scale national campaigns, overseeing teams and events that raised millions to support life-saving research. Her expertise in supporter engagement and business processes earned her national recognition, including multiple awards such as the National Fundraising Excellence Award.

Benita also owned and operated her own restaurant where she championed the importance of nutrition and high-quality food. She’s excited to combine her charity expertise with her love of food to support FoodCycle’s mission of nourishing communities. As a dedicated fundraiser, Benita focuses on building meaningful relationships with supporters and maximising fundraising opportunities to create a positive, lasting impact.

Frankie has joined FoodCycle working on the Food Invention Challenges in March 2025. Previously, she spent two years running a community cafe in Walthamstow and spent years working for other surplus food projects, mutual aid initiatives, and climate & social justice campaigns across the country. She is committed to reshaping the food system to focus on local food production & supporting communities and has a particular interest in co-operative models and community canteens.

In her spare time, she enjoys growing food in her allotment, going for runs up the River Lea, and cooking feasts for friends.