Charity in Hampshire sees increase in demand for hot meals
This year alone, Foodcycle has already provided 6,500 three course meals across Portsmouth, Southampton and Havant
Charity bosses in Hampshire say they've seen a 50% increase in demand for hot meals in the past 12 months.
This year alone, Foodcycle has already provided 6,500 three course meals across Portsmouth, Southampton and Havant.
It's become so busy, 380 volunteer sessions need to be filled to help deliver them.
New research from Just Eat shows that the top three reasons that Brits are planning to volunteer more this winter are: they like to help others (29%), if it’s a cause they care about (24%) and because they feel it’s important to give back (24%).
The average person is committing up to seven hours of their time this festive season which equates to ÂŁ123.90 in monetary donations.
The data also shows an appetite from the younger generation to help those in need, with almost half (49%) of 16-24-year-olds claiming they are more aware of the need to help people since the cost-of-living crisis, with a staggering 79% being likely to volunteer this festive season.
Supporting food banks (37%), delivering and helping make meals (35%) and volunteering at homeless shelters (28%) are some of the gifts of time that the generation give back (16–24-year-olds) are looking to offer.
This call for donating time comes as Just Eat marks the return of its Winter Meal Appeal, an annual campaign that aims to help support those facing the threat of homelessness, loneliness and food poverty.
Just Eat will be donating 5p from every order between 4th-11th December to charity partners FoodCycle and Social Bite to help fund hot and nutritious meals to those in need. Now in its fourth year, the appeal aims to reach a new milestone of funding 1.5m meals.
Last year FoodCycle had more than five thousand volunteers offer up over 90 hours of their time. But over the winter months (Dec, Jan and February), they have 7,500 volunteer sessions that need to be filled to help them run its 81 community meals across the country.
Sophie Tebbetts, CEO of FoodCycle said: "Lots of people have been affected by the cost-0f-living crisis so we know that 75% of our guests skip meals during the week because they can’t afford the food that they eat. We also have loads of people facing loneliness meaning a lot of people aren’t feeling connected.
"We’re open to all; You don’t have to prove your need. All you have to do is turn up and have a nice conversation and a delicious hot meal with someone."