20,000 cooked meals delivered to families struggling in the UK in partnership with The Felix Project

11 January 2022

As families in London continue to struggle financially due to the pandemic, Islamic Relief UK is supporting the Felix Project with its unique kitchen which collects good surplus food to cook 20,000 meals and deliver it to some of the most vulnerable families.

On Monday, January 10, Apsana Begum, MP for Poplar and Limehouse joined Islamic Relief UK and The Felix Project to help prepare meals to help those in need.

The Kitchen, which opened in July 2021 will also be cooking and delivering culturally sensitive meals to the ethnically diverse community in East London. Felix’s professionally trained chefs have invited local home cooks to the site to teach them authentic and culturally appropriate dishes that can be stored for two to three days and then heated.

On average the Kitchen can deliver 3,000 meals a day, 16,000 meals a week and 65,000 meals a month.

The Felix Project is a lifeline for many families and collects surplus food from supermarkets, wholesalers, farms, restaurants and delis that cannot be sold and would otherwise go to waste. The surplus includes fresh fruit, vegetables, healthy food, baked goods, salads, meat and fish.

To help some of the most vulnerable in the city, Islamic Relief is supporting the Felix Project to distribute 20,000 meals over the course of a week – 3 to 5 thousand a day.

Many people have been hit hard during the pandemic, especially, low-income families, the homeless, those suffering from domestic abuse, asylum seekers and refugees who were already struggling to feed themselves and many prioritising eating or heating as they struggle to pay their bills.

The Felix Project is one of 14 organisations across the UK that Islamic Relief UK is helping with food packs as part of a national winter distribution.

Leon Aarts, Head of the Kitchen at The Felix Project, said:

“Felix’s Kitchen opened in East London using surplus food, cooking thousands of meals to help vulnerable Londoners. Making sure that the meals are delicious and nutritious is great, yet it is not enough. For people in food insecurity, we need to ensure that the meals are culturally appropriate, so recipients get wellbeing benefits too. The support of Islamic Relief UK to help us to do just that will ensure that 20,000 culturally appropriate meals get to the right beneficiaries.”

Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK said:

“Islamic Relief UK is proud to be supporting The Felix Project with 20,000 meals to help feed families across London. Their unique kitchen is a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable in the city. The project is accommodating people in a respectful way by providing meals that can be heated and ensuring that they cater for people of different backgrounds.

Families are struggling across London as they have been hit hard financially because of the pandemic, and the situation is worsening for many.

This winter, we hope that we can bring much-needed relief to some of these people and improve their situation during this very difficult time.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

For any questions, photos, videos or to request to interview one of our spokespeople, please contact:

Jonaid Jilani: [email protected]; 07872 403534

Photographs can be found here: https://we.tl/t-Se4ZuG98AV

Photo of Apsana Begum MP standing on the left with Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK on the right can be found at DSCO2238.JPG

About The Felix Project

The Felix Project is London’s largest food redistribution charity. We rescue good food that cannot be sold and deliver it to charities and schools for people living in food poverty. In 2021 we delivered the equivalent of 30 million meals for London’s hungry. Join the fight against food waste & hunger at: www.thefelixproject.org

About Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way.

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people all over the world. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.

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