Member Article

Cambridge homeless charity serves up more meals with help from Tesco

A supported housing service for homeless people is thanking Tesco for surplus food donations, which have been uniting residents in cookery workshops.

Willow Walk is one of a number of groups in Cambridge to benefit from Tesco’s Community Food Connection scheme, which sees surplus food distributed to local charities and community groups each day.

Operated by housing association Riverside, Willow Walk helps people that have experienced rough sleeping or long term homelessness by providing accommodation and support.

In addition to providing a safe and supportive place to sleep, it provides social activities and cookery workshops to help its residents make and sustain positive change.

The group collects items such as fruit, vegetables and bakery products every week from its local Tesco store. The food donations are used in a variety of ways, from creating hot meals in cookery workshops, being placed in reception for members to take and or being used in breakfast clubs.

James Gordon, Riverside’s Service Manager at Willow Walk, said: “Unfortunately, our members are in extremely unpredictable circumstances and don’t have access to the basic food necessities which most of us take for granted. The Community Food Connection scheme has helped us to provide a lifeline to vulnerable people, and we’re hugely grateful.

“The food donations enable our residents to cook and eat together, which is a perfect opportunity to unite vulnerable people and help to combat social isolation and loneliness.”

Nicki MacKay, Community Food Connection Manager for Tesco, said: “We’re proud to have played a small part in the admirable work that Willow Walk does for the local community.

“We firmly believe that no good food should go to waste, and our Community Food Connection scheme ensures that our surplus food is used to benefit to the local community. We look forward to receiving more applications from community groups and charities in Cambridge.”

Community Food Connection is now the UK’s biggest supermarket food redistribution programme. Charities and local groups nationwide are able to participate in the scheme which has helped provide more than 40 million meals to more than 7,000 charities and community groups to date.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Katie Rattigan .