The Cambridge Foodbank is:

A registered UK charity, no: 1086253
A company limited by guarantee, no: 4132220
A non-denominational organization that seeks to address issues of:
Food surplus, landfill and waste and recycling and social exclusion

What the Cambridge Foodbank does:

The Cambridge Foodbank is an organisation that collects surplus groceries donated by the food industry – groceries that would otherwise be landfilled – and redistributes these goods to voluntary sector agencies working with disadvantaged groups of people.

The Cambridge Foodbank works closely with schools, community and church organizations to ensure additional food donations and manages a ‘Shop and Share Scheme’ supported by 5 of the major supermarket brands located in Cambridge.

Background to the Cambridge Foodbank:

Two charitable organisations, Emmaus Cambridge and Jimmy’s Night shelter, identified a need through their close work with homeless and ex-homeless people, to offer wholesale and regular food to those who are in need of it.

Astonishingly tons of nutritious food is being disposed of in landfill sites by the food industry on a daily basis. The issue of surplus food is now becoming more important to the food industry and this concern has stimulated the provision of resources and materials toward the charitable organisations who will re-distribute the surplus to people in need.

The concept behind the Foodbank is to provide an alternative solution to the disposal of good edible food by the food industry, and at the same time meet the needs of disadvantaged groups facing food insecurity.

Achievements:
  • The Cambridge Foodbank was launched as an independent charity in October 2001 and operates from warehouse facilities in Cambridge: Map
     

  • Over 65 tonnes of food that would have otherwise been land filled was donated from the food industry and redistributed by the Cambridge Foodbank in 2006.

  • The Foodbank has 90 agencies registered with it from the voluntary and statutory sector.

  • The Foodbank collects food donations from over 30 donors in the manufacturing and retail industry located across East Anglia.