Lewisham Local launched the Emergency Food for Community Food Projects Fund in April 2022 to support projects impacted by the reduction of food provided at the Surplus Food Hubs, food price increases, and the rise in demand for food aid due to the rising cost of living. There was £13,700 currently available for distribution.
Lewisham Local worked in partnership with Lewisham Foodbank who generously donated £10,000 to support Lewisham’s wider network of projects who provide free and low-cost food for Lewisham’s residents who have been impacted by the Hub’s closure on March 31st 2022. Lewisham Local provided the additional match funding thanks to funding from Lewisham Council’s Hardship Fund.
The grant could be spent on:
- Purchasing fresh or ambient food supplies, including cultural foodsreflecting the diverse ethnic make-up of the borough to support community food banks, social pantries and projects providing free meals
- Purchasing fridges & freezers or increasing storage capacity
- Transportation costs
The criteria to apply was:
- Funds must be to support Lewisham residents
- This fund is targeted at projects who collected food from the Surplus Food Hubs at the Green Man and Ewart Community Hall at the time of its closure
- For existing projects currently in operation
- Organisations must have public liability insurance and an organisational bank account
- Organisations and groups must have a safeguarding policy
- Funds must be spent within six months of receipt
Who could apply?
- Open to registered charities and constituted groups based in Lewisham
- Projects who collected food from the Surplus Food Hubs coordinated by GCDA at the Green Man and Ewart Community Hall at the time of its closure
Programme Impact
Lewisham Local funded 19 community food projects in total through this programme.
- 8 food banks
- 2 community meals
- 5 social supermarkets
- 4 food giving groups (providing food, food delivery or parcels)
Community Food Projects funded
| AFRIL – based in Lee but cover all of Lewisham Catford Fridge – based in Catford Catford Soup Kitchen – based in Catford Downham Gleaning Pantry – based in Downham Evelyn Community Store– based in Evelyn Feed the Hill- Based in New Cross Gate Glory Days Community Group– based in Catford Grove Park Emergency Food Project– based in Grove Park Legendary Community Club – based in Downham and Forest Hill LewCAS- based in Lewisham Centre , supports refugee and asylum seekers Lewington Food Project – Silwood Estate, Evelyn LWCC Food Service – based in Honor Oak Rehoboth Community Outreach Club – basked in Sydneham RMUK Wellbeing Project – based in Lee covering whole of Lewisham Sydenham Community Supermarket – based in Sydenham We Care Food Bank– based in Deptford/Brockley World of Hope – Based in Greenwich, covers Lewisham migrant communities Young Lewisham Project -based in Catford |
The funding supported over 5000 individuals with food from the 19 projects.
Key learning and outcomes from the programme
All the projects reported that the grant made a difference in the following areas:
- Generating volunteering roles
- Generating asset-sharing of resources and skills across the VCS community
- Generating new connections between stakeholders in the VCS community
- Increased sense of place
- The grant helped the organisation become resourceful and resilient
- 100% of projects said that the grant benefitted the health and wellbeing of the people who access their service
- 100% of projects said that the grant improved access to and availability of health/community services and facilities
- 100% of projects said that the grant helped to alleviate poverty
The full report is available to download here.
Lewisham Local would like to thank all the projects who participated and worked hard to deliver this programme and to those who shared feedback with us who are continuing to work tirelessly to provide vital food and support to Lewisham’s communities.
Lewisham Local would like to thank Lewisham Foodbank and Lewisham Council for providing the funding to run this programme.
You can find other grant funding opportunities shared by Lewisham Local here: Funding Programmes – Lewisham Local