No one in the UK should go hungry, but some of the 2.3 million people in London who live in poverty may be forced to make impossible choices – to buy food or to buy other essentials.
Caritas Westminster seeks to address food poverty within the Catholic Diocese of Westminster. Covering North London and Hertfordshire, our support is available to those of all faiths and none. We are bringing together a network of volunteer-led food projects serving whole communities and based in parishes and schools. Projects include food banks and pantries, food collections, food sharing and cooking initiatives, all to tackle poverty and create connection through food.
Caritas Westminster has three aims for its work in the area of Food.
Direct relief – By supporting projects such as food banks, and through the emergency provision of supermarket vouchers we are reaching out to those who are at risk of hunger, improving their access to food and addressing immediate needs.
Enabling food security – Each project offering food relief will also include an element of building resilience. This might include debt counselling, education and training in nutrition and cooking skills. Find training events to support resilience and food security on our Events page.
Influencing and advocacy – Because charity alone won’t bring an end to food poverty. We will engage with those in power, in partnership with other organisations, to seek changes to the systems which are resulting in people reaching these levels of desperation.
History
In October 2019 we began holding Half Term Holiday Clubs, Seven of these were held across North London and Hertfordshire, allowing families the chance to come together in a relaxed atmosphere, share a meal and learn about the help that is available to them. A total of 409 meals were served and every family went home with a bag of food thanks to The Felix Project. A range of creative and sport activities were provided for the children including football workshops run by the Queens Park Rangers community outreach team.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have shifted our focus to helping schools and parishes ensure that no one in their community is left struggling alone. We support food banks and other food provision services across diocese and have provided over £450,000 worth of supermarket vouchers through our schools and parishes. We are also encouraging the leaders of food projects to join our Road to Resilience programme, to explore ways of supporting those using their services, to find long term solutions to financial and other difficulties.
Volunteering with a Food Project
Volunteers are always welcomed by food projects across the diocese. Find the latest opportunities through the Caritas Volunteer Service
Contacting Caritas Food
Get in touch with the Caritas Food team to talk about the food project at your parish or school, or developing one: cfc@rcdow.org.uk
Cover Photo – credit: Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk