Lord Mayor of London Launches Livery Food Initiative City Harvest Van and Truck to Fight Food Poverty in the City.
The Livery Food Initiative van and truck are symbols of the emergency we are facing in London. The need is greater than ever and we are working 7 days a week from depots in east and west London to deliver free surplus food for over 1.25 million meals a month to people facing food poverty.
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- The Livery Charity Chairs Group (LCCG) recognised that they could have more impact if they collaborated so the Livery Food Initiative (LFI) was formed.
- LCCG launched the Livery Food Initiative in December 2022 partnering with City Harvest.
- Nearly 60 livery companies have generously contributed. In the first year, £190,000 was raised to keep a City Harvest van on the road for 3 years.
- City Harvest rescues food that is going to waste and delivers it to 375+ charities across London, feeding over 100,000 people each week.
- More City Harvest vehicles are needed to rescue and deliver food.
- We are asking all Livery Charities to give what they can over the next three years.
Please donate and help us raise funds for the Livery truck.
London continues to face a humanitarian crisis. Food poverty affects 25% of people in the capital, with 1 in 4 children unable to access nutritious food.
The Livery Food Initiative van is a symbol of the emergency we are facing in London.
March 2023 – Feb 2024 the LFI van has transported 923 tonnes of food, which equals 2,197,926 meals. Read more.
In December 2022 the Livery Charity Chairs group formed a pan Livery company initiative to collaborate to help tackle food poverty with City Harvest, exactly 3 months later, the Lord Mayor presented the keys to City Harvest chairman, Stephen Winningham. (Above: City AM photo story: 6 March 2023, The Lord Mayor, Alderman Nicholas Lyons gives the keys to the new City Harvest van to City Harvest Chair and Co-Founder Steve Winningham in front of Mansion House, Walbrook.)
LFI Success – Truck
Since October 2023, The Livery Food Initiative has raised over £125,000 to support a City Harvest 7.5 tonne truck, collecting food from around the country to avoid waste & deliver free food to the 25% of our population unable to afford food. We need another £145,000 to keep the truck on the road for 3 years.
City Harvest vans deliver free nutritious food for 1.2 million meals a month to 375+ charities and groups across London. In a time where children are denied free school meals and families cannot afford to eat at home, this van is a symbol of the humanitarian crisis we are facing.
The LFI Truck will collect 520 tons of food a year and ensure City Harvest can make significant inroads into their waiting list of needy charities – food and logistics are the biggest barriers right now.
City Harvest’s rate of enquiries rises every day, with more families struggling with the relentless rise in the cost of living. The fastest area of need are those households which find themselves £30/£40 a week short – there are over 1 million, 25% of Londoners, using foodbanks today – and 20% nationally facing food insecurity. These are employed people whose minimum wage jobs cannot cover basic household expenses. See photos & read more
LFI News
Fuellers support City Harvest: Livery Food Initiative
The Fuellers, part of the Livery Food Initiative, support food charity City Harvest with food rescue van as need for free food skyrockets.
A huge thank you and congratulations to Elena Oderstone from the Worshipful Company of Fuellers who reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro raising money for City Harvest. An incredible acheivement.
“This van will change people’s lives, offering reliable support and delivering hope in a very bleak time for so many.”
History of the Livery Companies and City Harvest
During Lockdown, the Livery Companies supported people facing food poverty across London by making meals for City Harvest to distribute via the Livery Kitchen Initiative. The Livery Food Initiative continues the relationship by providing funding to keep City Harvest vans running.
Resources
- Recorded zoom of the London Livery Charity Chairs Group explaining the LFI, hosted by initiative founder, Hilary Lindsay.
- Livery Committee Website