Angela – Volunteer
Cooking volunteer Angela is a sustainability champion at her local FoodCycle meal in Falcon Lodge.
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Chris has been a volunteer at FoodCycle Finsbury Park since 2017 and has racked up almost 1000 hours with us. Mostly to be found in the kitchen leading the team as Cooking Leader, Chris is a talented cook and loves to create dishes from around the world to delight FoodCycle guests.
We asked Chris to look back over his six years at FoodCycle to give us some of his personal highlights…
How did you discover FoodCycle?
When I was working in Singapore, I volunteered with an amazing charity called Willing Hearts, who cooked about 5000 meals per day for those in needed. Inspired by this, when I came back to London, I looked for something in this area via Google – and fortunately for me I encountered FoodCycle!
Tell us about your first day at FoodCycle?
My first day was actually our last day at our old location near Kings Cross – but despite this being a ‘transitionary session’, I had a such a good time that I knew that I had to follow the project as it moved to Finsbury Park. The things that really stood out to me were the creativity that went into the cooking; the clear impact (smiles!) that it put on our guests’ faces; and the friendly and welcoming volunteer team.
Tell us about your favourite FoodCycle meals?
Too many to name – but I would say those are when the team really pushes itself in terms of our creative boundaries and leads to guests leaving with big smiles on their faces. Sometimes, we do days with a little advanced planning, to create a ‘theme’ day, where we try to cook all our dishes from one country or region; or sometimes we do everything completely off the cuff, just figuring it out on the day based on what we receive. Both are equally fun.
In the past, we’ve done two fundraisers with celebrated chef Asma Khan where we she guided us to create a three-course meal for the paying public. Not only did we raise a significant amount of money for FoodCycle, but we also had a lot of fun cooking up a storm. Most memorable of which included experimenting with different ways to open a coconut and creating a mountain of gajjar halwa (carrot halwa)!
Tell us about your volunteering role at FoodCycle?
As a volunteer Project Leader, my role is to steer the team towards creating a nutritious, delicious, three-course vegetarian meal for our guests based on surplus ingredients that we receive from charity partners such as City Harvest and local greengrocers. As a foodie with a love for diverse flavours from around the world, I really encourage our team not to play it safe. We try to push the boundaries in terms of what can be done with our 2.5 hours of prep time. For example, we make many things from scratch, including bread, pasta and noodles!
What is your favourite thing about volunteering at FoodCycle?
It’s always lovely to see the smile on guests faces and the warm, welcoming atmosphere of our community meals. But also the energy and enthusiasm of our volunteers as we push ourselves to create and serve restaurant-quality meals.
Tell us any ways that working with FoodCycle has changed you?
I think I’ve definitely improved my leadership skills. I’ve learned that leading well is not about telling people exactly what to do, nor how to do it, but about creating a shared vision, like a dish for example, and helping others bring out their own skills in executing it. I’ve also learnt that there are pretty much no limits to the diversity of vegetarian food – we’ve hardly repeated dishes in my six years of volunteering!
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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
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT
Well done to the fantastic team at FoodCycle Weoley Castle for another warm and welcoming community meal 💚
This week, they served 22 guests, welcomed a brand new hosting volunteer, and dished up a delicious three-course menu featuring:
🥣 Roasted cauliflower and fennel soup
🍅 Ratatouille with mash and side salad
🍊 Orange drizzle cake
We also want to give a huge shout-out to Jacky, who hit an incredible milestone of 400 volunteer hours! Thank you for your dedication and the difference you continue to make every week 🎉
If you’re in the Weoley Castle area, head to St Gabriel’s at 4pm on Tuesdays for a free meal, good chat and a warm welcome.
Thinking about volunteering? Sign up here via the link in the bio.
#Volunteering #FoodCycle #WeoleyCastle #FreeMeal #WestMidlands #ThreeCourseMeal
A huge thank you to Jane and her brilliant "Ladies that Picnic" for coming together to support FoodCycle during The Big Lunch 💚
Jane hosted a wonderful afternoon filled with community spirit, delicious vegetarian dishes, a quiz, a raffle and even original artwork for sale, all to raise vital funds for our work.
We’re so grateful to Jane and everyone who came along. Your generosity and creativity help us bring people together over food, one meal at a time.
#TheBigLunch #FoodCycle #CommunitySupport #Wardley #Swinton
Run for change in 2026
We’ve got two charity places for the iconic London Marathon and they could be yours 👟
Take on one of the world’s most famous races while helping FoodCycle fight food poverty, tackle loneliness and stop good food from going to waste 💚
Think you’ve got what it takes? Tell us why you’d love to run for us by Sunday 6 July.
📝 Apply now via the link in the bio
📌 £100 reg fee
🎯 £2,500 fundraising target
Let’s do something amazing together.
#FoodCycle #LondonMarathon #CharityPlace #RunForCharity
50 guests, a buzzing dining room and a whole lot of love in Clacton this week!
The sun was shining, the queue was full of chatter, and the energy inside was just as warm 💚
A huge shout out to newly graduated Project Leader Yvonne, who served up her first official meal made entirely from fresh surplus ingredients and nailed it! 👏
Every guest left with a grocery bag to take home, and Collection PL Chris worked his usual magic, making sure nothing went to waste. Even his chickens were happy with the scraps 🐓
Great food, great people, great Monday. Clacton, you rock!
Looking for a feel-good gift that actually makes a difference?
Say hello to the FoodCycle merch range 💚
💚 Tote bags that carry kindness
💚 Tees and aprons that spread good vibes
💚 The perfect pressie for your foodie friend, your hosting hero or just yourself (you deserve it)
Every purchase supports our mission to feed communities, fight food waste and tackle loneliness.
Tap the link in bio to shop and gift with purpose.
#FoodCycle #ToteBag #Apron #GiftIddeas #CharityGift
No fresh food? No problem!
To the store cupboard 😁
You need to watch this and see the incredible meal our volunteers produced with store cupboard ingredients and some epic teamwork :-)
Thanks to the Mitcham team for sharing.
☀️ Sandwiches.
👥 Great company.
🌍 A meaningful cause.
It`s National Picnic Week, and what a brilliant moment to make your Big Lunch a picnic.
Lunch outdoors can bring your friends, family, or work team together, boost morale, and raise vital funds to help FoodCycle tackle food waste, hunger, and loneliness.
Keep it simple. Make it count.
Start planning via the link in the bio.
#NationalPicnicWeek
This Loneliness Awareness Week, we’re proud to be part of something that brings people together 💚
At FoodCycle, no one eats alone. Our community meals offer food, conversation and connection because we know a friendly face and a warm plate can go a long way.
🌱 83% of guests feel happier after a meal
🤝 78% feel less lonely
🏘️ 83% feel more part of their community
A shared meal can mean so much more than just food.
It can be friendship.
Support.
A reason to smile.
Let`s tackle loneliness and food waste together.
#LonelinessAwarenessWeek #Community #BetterTogether
Registered charity No. 1134423 | Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
Registered charity No. 1134423
Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
