Food waste dining project seeks lunch volunteers

Volunteers rustle up a three-course meal out of groceries that would otherwise have been thrown away

A charity which makes free hot meals from food that would otherwise go to waste is looking for volunteers to run its first dining space in Berkshire.

FoodCycle uses surplus food to create hot vegetarian lunches served as a community meal once a week.

Opened in recent weeks at Slough Salvation Army centre it needs cooks, washer-uppers, tea-makers and also drivers or cyclists to collect surplus food.

The meals are served at 13:00 every Monday at the centre on Stoke Road.

The charity said it planned to open a further FoodCycle community dining project in Reading on 31 October.

FoodCycle south east regional manager Natalie Capaldi said: "It's fantastic to have opened our first FoodCycle meal for the community in Slough.

"This comes at a time when the high cost of living continues to affect everything from people's food costs, and fuel bills, to mental health.

"Our meals run on the kindness of volunteers, so we're asking local people who are willing to give up a few hours a month to get in touch."

No prior qualifications are needed to volunteer and there's no minimum weekly commitment - training and guidance are given.

FoodCycle was set up 15 years ago to try and tackle food poverty, food waste, and loneliness

The charity currently runs 93 community meals nationally.