North Hackney Community Food Response

Aim

Ensuring everyone's food needs are met by having the choice over how we access, grow, cook, share and eat food. One meal at a time.

Together, we are building a better food system in our community! One where everyone in our community has choice over how they access, grow, cook, share and eat food. 

WHO ARE WE?

National Food Service London is a group of local residents and community activists. We started with an emergency food provision service in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Since April 2020, we have cooked and delivered over 20,000 nutritious, tasty vegetarian and vegan meals plus grocery packages to people in need of access to food. 

Whilst we continue to support people in crisis, we are working towards a food system which eliminates food insecurity for all communities and centres the freedom to choose and the celebration of diversity of food from land to plate for everyone. 

We stand in solidarity with all members of our community. It is our priority to provide food and support to those who are most at-risk and isolated throughout the COVID-19 crisis. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

National Food Service London cooks and delivers 500-1,000 healthy vegetarian and vegan meals per week. 

We operate a hotline for anyone in the local area to self-refer to our service. We also offer an opt-in well-being support. Please call 0208 706 0970 if you or anyone you know is in need of food support.

Our non-contact volunteers deliver meals and grocery packages to local community hubs and services, as well as directly to the doors of self-isolated, shielded and low-income families and individuals in North Hackney. NHS and other key workers also have access to meals through the programme. 

This service is free or contribute-as-you-can for families and individuals, or service providers supporting people local to North Hackney. Members of our community contribute through time, energy, skills, art, social connections and donations of items, food and money. 

Our activities fully comply with COVID-19 NHS guidelines.

YOUR SUPPORT

We appreciate any donation you can make to help us provide this service and develop our work. Just £5 can feed a family of four a healthy, home-cooked vegetarian or vegan meal. 

Please help us in our efforts to ensure that everyone in our community has access to nutritious food in this time of crisis.

Your donation will help cover the costs of:

• Plant-based ingredients from Suma Cooperative (to supplement surplus fresh produce).
• Compostable and/or recyclable take-away containers.
• Personal protective equipment, alcohol-based sanitisers and cleaning products.
• Gas and electricity usage.
• Developing educational resources and actions towards a sustainable, resilient community-led food system.
• Supporting the wider National Food Service Campaign.

VOLUNTEERING

We encourage our volunteers to offer their time, energy and skills only if they feel they are in a position to do so. We recognise that this is a difficult time for everybody and the well-being of our volunteers is paramount. Everyone is welcome to contribute to the service and access support in the way that works for you.

We have mental health first aiders on our team, who will be regularly checking in with volunteers to offer support and ensure that they have the capacity to continue working with us.

If you would like to volunteer, please fill in our Volunteer Sign Up Form or email [email protected].

NATIONAL FOOD SERVICE

In addition to this direct action, National Food Service London is campaigning as part of the National Food Service, which demands that people's basic food needs are met during the pandemic and forever after. You can read more about the NFS campaign at www.nationalfoodservice.uk.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made