A community dining charity has launched an urgent appeal for helpers to stop local families from going hungry. FoodCycle needs to find volunteers across Newcastle and Gateshead to keep its free weekly sessions running.
Charity Uses Surplus Food to Cook Healthy Meals
The group uses food that would otherwise be thrown away to cook healthy three-course vegetarian meals. This initiative is facing a temporary shortage of helpers during the summer holiday period. Organisers need to fill more than 8,500 slots across the country to keep up with the high demand. Anyone aged 18 or older can sign up to help, and no previous experience is required.
Vital Lifeline for Loneliness and Financial Hardship
The project serves as a vital lifeline for people facing loneliness and financial hardship. Last year, regional volunteers served 12,383 meals and saved almost 34 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste. Staff are keen to find people who can assist with cooking, hosting, or washing up. Regional manager for the North East, Steve Sheard, said: "We have a few different roles people can get involved with at FoodCycle community meals - from cooking, to serving food and chatting with guests, delivering surplus food to our projects, or doing the washing up. We’d love for anyone who is interested to sign up via our website."
Volunteers Report Mental Health Benefits
Regular volunteers also report that giving up their time helps to boost their own mental health and wellbeing. Five-year volunteer, Carla Jones, 31, said: "It gives me a sense of purpose. It’s given me an outlet for my cooking skills and made me feel better that I’m not wasting them. It’s helped my mental health as well, because I enjoy it. I benefit from it probably as much as the guests do. It’s given me more confidence. It’s like a little escape for me." She enjoys seeing the positive impact that the fresh meals have on the physical health of local visitors. Carla Jones added: "A lot of the guests that I’ve met say: ‘I’m eating better, I’m trying things that I’ve never tried before. I think that’s more important than anything really because to have good food, it helps with everything."
Charity Served Over 177,000 Meals Nationally Last Year
The local team is encouraging people to try volunteering even if they can only spare a few hours. Carla Jones continued: "Just do it, just give it a go! Just come along and just see how it goes, and I can guarantee you’ll have a nice time." The national charity served more than 177,000 meals last year using rescued food that would otherwise be binned. Chief executive of FoodCycle, Mark Game, commented: "Too many people are struggling to afford the food they need, and too many are experiencing loneliness. That’s why FoodCycle’s community meals are more important than ever. Every week our volunteers help create welcoming spaces where people can enjoy nourishing food and company, while ensuring good food doesn’t go to waste. We know these meals make a real difference to the guests who join us – but we need more help, as demand remains high all year round. This summer we need to fill more than 8,500 volunteer slots around England and Wales to keep our projects running. If you can spare a few hours we’d love you to join us and help make a difference in your local community."
Where to Find a Meal
The free vegetarian meals are open to everyone, with no questions asked and no booking required. Residents can find their nearest weekly session at several community hubs across Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley.
- Newcastle Benwell: Mondays at 6.30pm at Benwell Cornerstone, 62 Armstrong Road, Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 7TU
- Sunderland Ashbrooke: Tuesdays at 12.30 at Stockton Road URC Church, Stockton Road, Sunderland, SR2 7DD
- Newcastle Walker: Wednesdays at 12.45 at Ray Gray Centre, Stotts Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 4UH
- Sunderland Grindon: Thursdays at 6.30pm at Grindon Church Community Project, Galway Road, Grindon, Sunderland, SR4 8JZ
- Newcastle Westgate: Thursdays at 6.45pm at Baptist Church, 366 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6NX
- Newcastle Byker: Thursdays at 7pm at St Silas' Church, Clifford Street, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1DR
- Gateshead Felling: Fridays at 12.30 at Felling Community Centre, Smithburn Road, Gateshead, NE10 9DU
- Hartlepool: Mondays at 6.30pm at Hartlepool Community Hub South, Wynyard Road, TS25 3LQ
- Middlesbrough Breckon Hill: Tuesdays at 6.30pm at Breckon Hill Community Centre, Breckon Hill Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 2DS
To register as a helper, visit www.foodcycle.org.uk/volunteer-portal. You can also make a financial contribution online at www.foodcycle.org.uk/donate.
