Help the Hungry: Our campaign partner continues support through tier 4 Christmas

Volunteers to keep kitchens running and food delivered throughout pandemic

With Compassion volunteers chop vegetables to supply the kitchen at London Scottish House (Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd)

As parts of the south east prepares for a festive season in tier 4, our charity partner With Compassion will continue to support those in need this Christmas.

With Compassion has cooked more than 500,000 meals since the end of March. Over the past few weeks, it has been serving free hot meals out of our state-of-the-art food truck to vulnerable people in need of the comfort and nourishment food can provide.

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, they will be cooking and serving nutritious food outside the kitchen at Westminster’s London Scottish House to anyone in need.

Please donate to our appeal today to help the charity ensure as many people as possible can be fed in London this Christmas.

As well as offering a hot lunch, people are also being provided with cold boxed meals to take away for themselves and their families.

Organisations helping care for vulnerable Londoners in need of food are also being encouraged to get in touch with With Compassion to arrange a delivery of free meals on Christmas Day.

To collect your meals, please make your way to Scottish House, 95 Horseferry Road, Westminster SW1P 2DX between 11am and 3pm on December 25 and 26.

For London-based organisations interested in receiving free meals from With Compassion on Christmas Day, please email meals@with-compassion.org to let them know your details and how many meat and vegetarian meals you require.

With Compassion’s founder Leon Aarts thanked all the volunteers who have kept our ‘pop up’ kitchen going since it opened in November.

He called them the “beating heart” of With Compassion, adding: “Without them giving their time, effort and commitment we wouldn’t have been able to cook thousands of meals.”

Our other appeal partner The Felix Project is also continuing to deliver food to those in need across the festive period.

Since March, it has worked with The Independent on sourcing and redistributing fresh food to London’s most vulnerable.

Mark Curtin, Felix’s chief executive, said: “We are incredibly proud of the collective efforts of all the people who have made this campaign so successful. Thank you and congratulations to everyone who helps The Felix Project tackle the hunger crisis. You are all true role models and heroes.”

Marcus Roberts, relationship manager at Felix said: “Its been so incredible seeing the work that people are willing to put in to help those less fortunate.”

Before Covid-19, charities needed to deliver 109 million meals a year to help every person going hungry in the capital.

Research by The Felix Project, has discovered that figure has increased and now 118 million meals are needed each year.

It means charities have to find an extra nine million meals each year to help those people who are now facing hunger.

Professor Martin Caraher, emeritus professor of food and health policy at City, University of London, warned: “Food poverty is an indignity. It is not just about the lack of food but also the feelings of shame and disempowerment, social stigma and being isolated.”