Campaigning to raise awareness of rising UK food poverty
Veolia, the UK’s leading environmental services company, working with their charity partner, FoodCycle, is now supporting the charity’s Breadline Challenge initiative - a campaign to raise awareness of rising UK food poverty and raise vital funds for FoodCycle’s work across the country.
The Breadline Challenge will ask volunteers, and the general public to live on a food and drink budget of £2.86 a day for a week this November and raise funds for FoodCycle. Under a partnering scheme, Veolia are working with FoodCycle to help them achieve their objectives and Veolia staff will be taking an active part in the campaign that runs from the 16th to 22nd November.
FoodCycle projects run on the simple belief that food waste and food poverty should not co-exist and the national charity combines volunteers, donated food and spare kitchen spaces to create tasty, nutritious meals for people at risk of food poverty and social isolation. An estimated 4 million people in the UK today are affected by food poverty and FoodCycle provides meals for vulnerable people from surplus food through their Hubs across the country.
Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s Senior Executive Vice-President UK & Ireland said: “Through our partnership with FoodCycle we can all help improve the lives of vulnerable members in the community and by taking part in the Breadline Challenge our teams will help spread awareness of this need and support the cause. Our commitment is to improve the lives of our communities and help reduce the 7 million tonnes of food waste that goes to landfill each year by turning it into a resource.”
Commenting on the fundraising initiative, Mary McGrath, CEO of FoodCycle, said ““We’re so pleased that Veolia staff have chosen to support us with this year’s Breadline Challenge campaign. We know that living on a minimal budget for just one week is no way comparable to a life in poverty – but, by taking part in the Breadline Challenge, staff are helping to raise vital funds that will support FoodCycle’s projects across the country.”