Muslim Aid feeds 35,000 in London-Wide Winter Campaign

International humanitarian charity based in London, Muslim Aid, is launching its winter campaign this month. Over the next few weeks, the charity, which is now in its 35^th year, will be delivering 35,000 meals to 35 locations, including all 32 boroughs of London. Starting early on 16^th December, Muslim Aid volunteers, in Enfield will begin packing, preparing, and distributing the food, in line with social distancing guidelines. The charity will deliver approximately 15 tonnes of food by the end of the month.

The project will be implemented in partnership with the Felix Project, a London-based charity that collects surplus food and distributes it to people in need.  Muslim Aid will be also be working in partnership with The Atrium and PL84U Al-Suffa,and will also be providing some of the food. The project aims to build resilience and ensure that the country’s most vulnerable people have access to nutritious meals. The meals will consist of foods such as chicken pasta, and curry and rice, with plenty of fresh vegetables and water.

The meals will vary from location to location, as they will be tailored to the preferences of the recipients. Low-income households, homeless, single parents, asylum seekers and refugees will all be prioritised in the delivery of this project.  The food will be delivered in 35 locations, including the 32 boroughs of London, (as well as St Albans, Watford and Luton). The food will be sourced from the surplus from UK suppliers, making this project sustainable by redistributing food that would otherwise have gone to waste. All of the food will be fresh, and will consist of fruit and vegetables, as well as fresh meat and fish.  

More than 1.9 million people access food banks in the UK, with this number predicted to rise to 2.4 million by the end of this month due to the severe financial pressures families have faced as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic. In London alone, 1.5 million adults struggle to afford to eat every day and 400,000 children are at risk of missing their next meal. Furthermore, the UK food industry generates nearly 2 million tonnes of edible surplus food each year. By working in partnership with the Felix Project, Muslim Aid will ensure that this food, which would otherwise go to waste, can be used to feed people who are struggling to put food on the table. 

Muslim Aid CEO Kashif Shabir says: Over its 35 years existence, Muslim Aid has been committed to delivering aid all over the world, but We recognise the difficulties people have faced at home here in the UK this year due to the pandemic and we are working hard to support fragile communities. Through this initiative, we will reach thousands of people in the UK and make sure that they have food on their tables. What makes this project even better is that the food comes from a sustainable source, making use of the abundance of surplus food available, while ensuring that people have access to fresh and nutritious meals this winter.