This June, City Harvest is delighted to be part of Nando’s Nango’s Free, campaign.
This June, City Harvest is delighted to be part of Nando’s Nango’s Free, campaign. Nango’s invites nans throughout the UK to dine for free at Nando’s restaurants between 7-9th June. Since 2017, Nandos has been committed to ensuring no good food is wasted by partnering with City Harvest to deliver surplus food to the vulnerable.
Nando’s in Numbers:
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- Nando’s has donated 110,730 kg of food between September 2017 and May 2021.
- This equates to 254,695 meals worth of chicken for those most in need.
- By donating its surplus, Nando’s has prevented 420,777 kg of greenhouse gas emissions.
Vans for Nans – Add 25p to your bill
During Nango’s Free, anyone can opt to donate 25p on their bill, the cost of City Harvest delivering one meal. Raising funds for City Harvest and nationwide food redistribution partner, Xcess Network, these funds help keep our vans rolling.
City Harvest delivers free, nutritious food to over 350 charities feeding people unable to access food, including London’s elderly and vulnerable. Our vans feed nans.
Pam pictured with a bag of frozen Nando’s chicken which she uses to feed vulnerable nans in West London.
City Harvest’s favourite nan, Pam
“I don’t have any biological grandchildren, but I have a lot of grandchildren.”
Everyone at City Harvest loves Pam, our very own nan who is dedicated to sharing the love with her local community and City Harvest family by cooking nutritious surplus to feed those in need.
City Harvest speaks with Pam about her commitment to feeding London’s nans and the wonders she can do with surplus Nando’s chicken.
How long have you been feeding nans with Nando’s chicken?
Quite a few years now. I usually get the chicken from City Harvest, cook it at home and serve it to vulnerable, elderly people in my community. I love to cook it in different ways, using Nando’s sauces. The chicken I prepare goes out to mostly elderly people and families on my local estate who can’t access good food for a number of reasons.
I started long before the lockdown. Through my church, I have been supporting the community since 2009. Not long after, I got surplus food from the earliest City Harvest team in Acton. When the lockdown started, I started assembling food packs from home. Additionally, when I used to come and volunteer at the City Harvest depot, I’d often take excess surplus food, if there was any, and drive to my local estate to redistribute to those without good food.
Who do you feed in your local community?
There are a quite a few elderly people who I take food to on West Kensington Estate, Clem Attlee Court estate and another. I am from the community; I live in Fulham near West Brompton, so can easily help those near to me in need. Sometimes, people come to collect food from my house.
I help anyone in the community who is in need. There seem to be a lot of elderly people in need of support as they no longer have the physical or financial independence they once had. I mostly help a lot of elderly ladies in my community by delivering them food with my pully (shopping bag on wheels).
The nans of West Ken
There’s Theresa – she’s about 80 years old. She doesn’t get out much after having an operation on her leg and currently can’t walk or go out on her own. I take the chicken to her amongst other City Harvest surplus, like meat and tinned foods.
Mary lives in the back of West Ken Estate and relies on City Harvest surplus. I take her Nando’s chicken, ready meals, and other bits she likes, to get her through the week.
There are quite a few elderly ladies in need of support within the community, mostly because they are unable to access good food easily, for reasons including poor mental and physical health, social isolation and having no one to support them but myself and food charities, like City Harvest.
On my street, I help a lady who used to be independent, but one day, she got attacked and will no longer come out of the house, she has lost her confidence.
How do you feel the need in your local community has changed over the past year?
The need has undoubtedly risen. I think a lot of people are in desperate need of food and will go out of their way to get that food. I get people coming all the way from East London to collect food sometimes.
One lady messaged me last week, she was desperate for food to feed her family, but, because she was in such a poor physical state, it took her 3 hours to get to my house. She had just moved to London and could not afford to feed her household. The bag of food I gave her was heavy, but she was desperate to take it otherwise her family would not eat.
One thing is clear: the people I help to feed really appreciate City Harvest.
Pam’s Kitchen
When I started to come and volunteer at the City Harvest depot, I began to cook for staff and volunteers from my second week, and I have been cooking ever since. My cooking is heavily influenced by my Jamaican heritage and inspired by the ingredients I can find, especially Nando’s chicken. I know the team appreciates a home-cooked meal.
I cook lunch on Thursday and then go and help in the warehouse, unloading the vans and sorting the surplus food that comes in.
“I always refer to her as a veteran. Pam has been with us since we were a grassroots project and epitomises what it means to be part of the City Harvest family. Her generosity is why we created Pam’s Kitchen, she works hard to nourish everyone around her.” – Kathryn Marshall, Volunteer Engagement Manager
