Caledonian Sleeper is working to tackle hunger and food waste by supporting London-based food charity City Harvest, as it redistributes food to people facing food poverty across the city.
Any surplus cooked meals from the Caledonian Sleeper’s southbound service are donated to the food rescue charity, which is then taken to charities including foodbanks, refuges, shelters, soup kitchens and community groups to make sure that the food is accessible to the people who need it most.
One charity which regularly receives donations from the Caledonian Sleeper is The Peel, a community charity in Clerkenwell, which is focused on creating a connected community and tackling some of the challenges facing the local people including poverty and isolation.
Scarlett Gregory, Community Engagement and Partnerships Lead said: “We receive meals from Caledonian Sleeper once a week and the feedback has been great.
“Some members of the community drop in just to collect the meals and rely on them due to the rise in cost of living.
“The meals have been popular with our Adult Members group – because they’re pre-made meals you can easily reheat them – and it guarantees them to have at least one nutritious meal that day.
“The food we receive is supporting between 45-50 households per week and it’s fantastic to divert this from landfill to support those who are in need.”
Goldie Leoppky, Food Sourcing Manager from City Harvest added: “Working with companies such as Caledonian Sleeper, that are dedicated to reducing waste and making a social impact is always a dream.
“Our latest People Report shows stark effects of food poverty on physical and mental health, now affecting one in four.
“The Caledonian Sleeper team is dedicated to ensuring no good food is wasted, working with us like clockwork to ensure it reaches those most in need.”
As well as tackling food poverty, City Harvest looks to reduce the impact which food waste has on the environment, and in four months Caledonian Sleeper saved 15.8 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by donating its surplus food.
It is estimated that every year the UK food industry wastes 9.5 million tonnes of food, which is associated with 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
As well as providing food, members of the Caledonian Sleeper team have volunteered at the charity’s warehouse supporting the packing and distribution of food.
David Durance, catering and operations manager of Caledonian Sleeper, said: “At Caledonian Sleeper we want to support the communities we operate in, and we are extremely pleased to be able to help to tackle food poverty in London.
We know with the current cost-of-living crisis, charities focussed on addressing hunger are vital, and by working with City Harvest, which is at the frontline of tackling this, we know we are making a real positive difference to people’s lives and the environment.
“It has been fantastic to see our employees engage with the charity, and I am looking forward to growing this relationship and continuing to support City Harvest as it provides such a vital service across the city.
“In addition, we’re now looking for a partner in Scotland and we’d urge you to come forward if you think you can help us divert left-over food from landfill on our north-bound service.”