Neighbourly has hit an official milestone of 100 million meals donated to local community charities in the UK since it launched in 2014.
The giving platform, which connects available resources such as food surplus and financial donations, uses volunteers and retail connections to distribute food to over 21,000 local charities, community groups and schools.
Some of Neighbourly’s corporate partners include M&S, Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury’s, who help the platform to keep the nation fed.
Between Aug 2021 – Aug 2022 alone, over 32.8 million meals were redistributed via Neighbourly, worth £62.3 million and weighing 13,790 tonnes.
Increasing numbers of people have been seeking support from food banks recently, and online searches for “food banks near me” have seen a 250% increase since March 2020, according to analysis of Google trends data.
Most organisations are also witnessing a decrease in the number of provisions being donated.
“This is an important milestone for Neighbourly, our corporate partners and crucially for our good causes. This huge 100 million figure translates to genuine positive impact in terms of food waste avoided,” Neighbourly CEO Steve Butterworth said.
He added: “Of course, the fact foodbanks and front-line charities are facing such significant demand is a stark reminder of the scale of the cost-of-living crisis and they shouldn’t need to rely on surplus to help solve social challenges.
“Equally, we know that 17% of food is wasted in retail and at the consumption stage worldwide and are committed to doing what we can to reduce this here in the UK, ensuring that these valuable resources go to the best possible use.”
Butterworth emphasises that whilst they are proud of the achievement, “it does not detract from the urgent issues facing increasing numbers of people across the UK,” he said.
“Our network of community groups is already experiencing soaring demand, particularly for food that does not require cooking.
“The role of corporate partners with surplus products to share is only set to grow this winter, and they will play a vital role in enabling local charities to survive and support their local communities.”
