FoodCycle, the charity that aims to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community has relaunched its Project in Westgate, Newcastle.
- 87% of guests say that FoodCycle makes them feel part of their community
- 81% say that attending a FoodCycle meal makes them feel less lonely
- 86% said they feel happier after coming to a FoodCycle meal
- 84% said they have made friends at a FoodCycle meal
FoodCycle has four free weekly community meals across Newcastle, one in Gateshead and five across the region, a reflection of the vital need for services like this as people across the North East continue to be affected by the cost-of-living crisis.
Having relaunched last month at the Baptist Church, 366 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6NX, the weekly free meal hopes to provide great food and conversation to more people in the local area every Thursday at 6.45pm.
” We wanted to relaunch our Westgate Project in the Newcastle community to reach more people who might need a warm space, friendly chat and a nutritious, three-course meal. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit people hard across the region and we greet spring with news of increased energy bills and supermarket food supply issues, our service is more vital than ever. The local response to the relaunch has been fantastic and we look forward to providing our free community meals to anyone across the city who needs it, no questions asked.”
FoodCycle North East Regional Manager, Louise Green
FoodCycle recently released a research report highlighting how ‘community dining’ is the answer to tackling loneliness and food insecurity. Written by social eating and community food systems expert, Dr Marsha Smith of Coventry University and supported by a survey of 2,000 people*. The survey found that near to 2 in 3 agree that not enough is being done by local councils to promote community dining projects. It also highlighted that we are a nation of solo diners, with 24% saying that they eat alone every day of the week, Yet, one in two believe mental health is benefited by eating together. In terms of hurdles to finding social connection, it found that 96% of the population have not heard of community dining projects but near to one in two would attend if one was available in their area.
FoodCycle Needs You
FoodCycle Westgate is looking to recruit new volunteers and Project Leaders. Flexible volunteer roles without a minimum time commitment are open to anyone and include cooking, hosting and running Projects.
Serving up free weekly community meals using food that would otherwise have gone to waste, FoodCycle is a vital service that relies on its volunteers to provide nutritious food and conversation across the UK.
FoodCycle’s free community meals are open to all, and guests range from low-income families, people affected by homelessness and those who cannot afford to buy food. No questions asked, you can just turn up and take a seat.
Without volunteers, FoodCycle cannot provide a vital service to the community who have come to rely on the chance to sit down to a free, three-course meal every week.
FoodCycle Westgate offers free community meals every Thursday from 6.45pm at Baptist Church, 366 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6NX
Other FoodCycle North East locations:
FoodCycle Byker offers free community meals every Thursday from 7pm at St Silas’ Church, Clifford Street, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 1DR
FoodCycle Benwell offers free community meals every Monday from 6.30pm at Riverside Community Health Project, Carnegie Building, Atkinson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 8XS
FoodCycle Walker offers free community meals every Wednesday from 12.30pm at Monkchester Community Centre, Monkchester Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2LJ
FoodCycle Felling offers free community meals every Friday from 12.30pm at Felling Community Centre Crowhall Towers, Crowhall Lane, Gateshead, NE10 0NF
FoodCycle Hartlepool Owton Manor offers free community meals every Monday from 6.30pm at Community Resource Centre, 44 Kilmarnock Road, Hartlepool, TS25 3NU
To sign up as a volunteer or for more information on FoodCycle visit http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/ or email westgate@foodcycle.org.uk
