Joining forces with local charity to fight hunger in Lewisham this Christmas
18.12.23 3 min read
We joined up with partners at Balfour Beatty and the Felix Project in Deptford to pack and deliver food to those who need it most in the local community.
This is only the latest visit, with the team visiting the depot and offering their time, passion, and work to support the Felix Project’s charitable activities throughout this year. It is the eighth visit to their depot in 2023 with polling by the charity finding that 1 in 4 working parents in London have struggled to afford to feed their children on multiple occasions this year – equivalent to over 275,000 working mums or dads across London.
The contributions reflect our ongoing work in Lewisham to give back to the local community, and put social value at the heart of our work. Whether through visits to local schools, working with local charities, and even bringing former England Rugby captain Jason Robinson to deliver a 12-week sports programme in a local school, we’ve committed to maximising the benefit of the Lewisham Gateway project to the local community.
Volunteers delivering food to food banks in Deptford
Located adjacent to Lewisham Station, Lewisham Gateway will deliver over 1,000 new homes, space for new shops, cafes, and restaurants, as well as 10,000 sq ft of offices, a gym, cinema, and new public squares on completion in summer 2024. So far, the project has created over £110m in social and economic value within the local area, including through new jobs, and educational opportunities and charitable activities – such as with the Felix Project.
Established in 2016, the Felix Project is a London-based food redistribution charity working to win the fight against food waste and hunger in London. By collecting food from more than 539 suppliers, it supplies more than 1000 front line charities, primary schools, and holiday programmes.
It is the largest food redistribution charity in the UK for the number of organisations supplied. At the heart of the charity is a commitment to providing food that is high quality and nutritious to people who really need it. The importance of the work by the Felix Project has come into sharp focus after their recent research into the scale of food poverty across London found:
14% of working parents say they have had to turn to a food support service for the first time
1 in 10 working families have just £2.85 a day to spend on food – that equates to over 100,000 families
22% said their overall food budget had decreased since last year
25% said they had skipped a meal or not bought food to feed themselves to ensure their children can eat
Felix Projects social value stats
Chris Coxall, Project Director, said:
“Throughout the delivery of Lewisham Gateway, we’ve been focused on ensuring that communities in the local area benefits from this major investment, including through volunteering with excellent organisations like the Felix Project.”
“We’re very proud of the contributions we have made so far, and look forward to continuing to support the Felix Project’s vital work in future.”
Chris Coxall and Iona MacRury of Muse, Emilio Gardeta of Balfour Beatty
Emma Burns of the Felix Project, said:
“We currently provide surplus food to over 1,000 different community organisations from homeless shelters to primary schools. However we currently have over 680 on our waiting list to receive food – this number is increasing ever week and we need more support than ever before!”
“It is great to see organisations like Muse and Balfour Beatty stepping up in Lewisham to support their local community, and we look forward to their continued support as the Lewisham Gateway project moves closer to completion.”