Healthy Living Platform (HLP) have worked with Lambeth and with volunteers to deliver food since the start of the pandemic. Now the council has contracted them to work on longer-term plans to co-ordinate and distribute surplus food. HLP’s aim is to put food at the heart of the community so that no person goes without a nutritious meal.

From March 2020 HLP and the council worked together to provide nutritious food parcels – 10-day supplies of fresh fruit, vegetables, pulses, dairy and even treats – to vulnerable and shielding residents. Lambeth’s Children’s Centres and Schools identified families struggling to access food. In three months, volunteers delivered over 20,000 parcels using trailers, cargo bikes and cars and HLP built up relationships with over 30 community organisations.

Under the new contract, HLP will act as a single point of contact for receiving surplus and other food and set up three hubs in south, central and north Lambeth to supply community hubs, within a network of organisations tackling food poverty and insecurity. Surplus food shared out fairly will support both existing and new projects. Longer term, HLP hopes to help create sustainable solutions like community kitchens and food buying co-ops.

You can read more here.