Angela – Volunteer
Cooking volunteer Angela is a sustainability champion at her local FoodCycle meal in Falcon Lodge.
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Phil, 58, retired a few years ago when he lost most of his eyesight from having severe thrombosis. When his partner Diane first suggested coming to a FoodCycle meal earlier this year, he wasn’t sure because of his means, but he has quickly become a regular at FoodCycle Portsmouth and FoodCycle Havant.
What brought you to FoodCycle?
My partner Diane found out about it, I was a little embarrassed at first actually, I had no idea what it was about or what it was like and, when she told me about it, I queried the idea of a free meal as I didn’t think it was right. Anyway, we went along, and it was a lovely meal. I do have money, not much, but I wanted to give a donation and they said no, it’s a free service and you’re helping to save food. I was inspired by that and now I take down bits of food to help them to cook. Since then, whenever I found someone who is short of cash and does need to eat have asked them to come along with us. Not everyone says yes but we keep spreading the word!
Do you find you have connected to other members of the community?
Yes. Diane and I have tried to help a few people who have come to the meals. We’ve got talking with a few people and we’ve tried to help those that are in difficult situations. I definitely get something out of it. I suffer from depression and anxiety myself, I’ve been like that for years now, and it is nice to have something to do regular to go to talk to people and hear their stories and talk about the weather and things like that. In terms of having a regular something to eat, to be honest I see it as getting a healthy meal. I look forward to it every week – I look forward to Wednesday and to Thursday every week. I got chatting to someone last week and we were swapping stories about our experiences, and it feels good to be able to discuss things and not feel alone so it’s a very good thing.
Any of your favourites from the FoodCycle menu?
Well, you know, I never thought I’d enjoy Quorn! I know the meals have got to be vegetarian so that everyone eats them, but they also introduce me to things I’ve never had before. Meals often include ingredients I wouldn’t usually choose to eat, but they are really good and really healthy. I always empty my plate.
What would you say to someone who was thinking of coming?
Go through the door then go and talk to somebody. It’s so worth it. Just go along because you’re going to get so much out of it. Whether you arrive feeling down or feeling happy, there are people there who will make you smile. Even if you come alone, someone will always sit next to you. Everyone is looked after.
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🎉 A huge well done to FoodCycle Hartlepool for their very first themed night! 🎉
The evening was a fantastic success, thanks to the amazing effort of the Hartlepool volunteers who went above and beyond to make it extra special. Decorations, table snacks, and thoughtful touches helped create a brilliant atmosphere for their guests. 💛
A big thank you to their regular volunteer from Quorn for the fantastic donation of Quorn burgers, which were a real hit. 🍔
And a huge shout out to Morrisons Hartlepool for their incredible support. Their donations of cookies and dips made the meal even more memorable and will continue to help with future meals too. 🍪✨
It is wonderful to see the Hartlepool team showing the power of community spirit through food and friendship.
Don`t forget to tag us in all your posts, we love to see what our projects are creating for their communities.
#hartlepool #foodcycle #morrisons #quorn
Help us make a difference!
We would love it if you could nominate FoodCycle for a Movement for Good Health and Wellbeing Award. It only takes a minute and could help us support even more communities with free, nutritious meals.
Nominations close on 4th May – nominate us here: https://health.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn=1134423&ct=health#nominateACharity
Thank you for your support! 💚
@benefactgroup #Healthandwellbeing #foodcycle #community #socialgood #movementforgood
We were absolutely delighted to be selected as one of 20 charities supported by Overbury’s 2025 Charity Quiz.
Held at Westminster Park Plaza in February, the event brought together 100 teams from across the construction industry, raising an incredible £500,000 for charity through an evening of quiz rounds, connection and generosity.
A huge thank you to Overbury and all the event sponsors for their fantastic support.
And a special shout out to Rebecca Bradshaw, Overbury staff member and dedicated FoodCycle volunteer, for nominating us – we’re so grateful.
@overburyplc
Less than 24 hours to double your impact.
There’s still time to donate through the Big Give Green Match Fund and have your gift matched pound for pound.
We have just over £800 left to raise to unlock all of our match funding. Every donation will be matched while funds are available – meaning double the meals and double the impact for the people we support.
Many of our guests are struggling with the cost of living, with 75% finding it difficult to afford food or pay for their housing. Your support can make a real difference.
💚 76% of our guests report eating more fruit and vegetables
💚 83% feel happier after attending a FoodCycle meal
💚 78% feel less lonely
By donating today, you`re helping us do more than just provide food. You are helping us build community, improve wellbeing, and save good food from going to waste.
Donate now and help us reach our target.
Head to the link in the bio!
@biggiveorg #greenprojects #greenmatchfund #foodcycle #fightfoodwaste
🌍💚 It’s a BIG week… The Big Give Green Match Fund is here! 💚🌍
From today until 29th April, every donation to FoodCycle through The Big Give will be DOUBLED, helping us grow our environmental impact through community dining.
By turning surplus food into hot, healthy meals, we’re:
♻️ Tackling food waste
🌱 Cutting carbon emissions
🍽️ Feeding communities in need
In 2024, we saved 320 tonnes of food from waste, stopping 200,000kg of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Imagine what we can do with YOUR help, doubled.
Donate today and be part of something greener, kinder and more connected.
Link in bio to give.
#donate #causes #giveback #socialgood #environment #biggive #thebiggive #foodcycle
Do you leave a treat out for Father Christmas? Well, the Easter Bunny deserves some love too. 🥕🐰
We think this carrot cake recipe is perfect for Easter weekend.
Did you know you can scale this recipe up or down by changing the number of portions?
Try it yourself via the link in the bio.
Make sure to tag us in any of your baking creations.
#CarrotCake #EasterBunny #EasterReciope #EasterTreat #Cakes #EasterFood #FoodCycle
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
Registered charity No. 1134423 | Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
Registered charity No. 1134423
Company limited by guarantee no. 7101349
