Healthy Living Platform and our surplus food projects- the Brixton Hub

Healthy Living Platform (HLP) has been awarded a contract from Lambeth Council to coordinate and distribute surplus food in the borough, following a collaborative bidding process. HLP's aim is to put food at the heart of the community so that no person goes without a nutritious meal.

HLP worked closely with the Council at the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to provide nutritious food parcels to vulnerable and shielding residents supported by Council staff and volunteers. Each food parcel was a 10-day supply and consisted of fresh fruit, vegetables, pulses, dairy and some treats, and dietary requirements were also considered on request. Over 20,000 parcels were delivered by cyclists with trailers, cargo bikes and cars in the first three months.

HLP has developed a strong partnership with 33 community food hubs/ charities providing surplus food and other items such as toiletries, nappies etc. where possible.  They also worked closely with Lambeth’s Children’s Centres and Schools, who immediately identified the families that were struggling to access food, and the staff have worked, tirelessly, delivering food parcels to the homes of many families.

The new service

As part of the new service HLP will act as the single point of contact for receiving surplus and other food in the borough. HLP will also be establishing 3 Hubs in the borough (south, central and north). These Hubs will receive surplus food and then distribute this to local community food hubs. The Hubs will aim to build strong networks of local organisations involved in tackling food poverty and insecurity, who are all working to ensure that no-one in the borough goes without food during these difficult times. 

There is currently huge demand for food support so the surplus food that comes into the borough will be shared out as fairly as possible. There are currently many successful community food projects across the borough, that source food from multiple locations including through their own donations and fundraising. The surplus food is often a great way of supporting these projects or starting up new projects. Many of these projects have been set up to respond to the current emergency and HLP is looking at more sustainable long-term solutions such as setting up community kitchens and food buying co-ops, run by local communities, for themselves and their neighbours.

Mala Naicker, will manage the surplus food Hubs and its supplies and logistics. She is currently working with community groups to mobilise the 3 hubs.

Get involved!

If you are:

• a local voluntary or community organisation that provides food or would like to get involved in doing this or 
• a business that would like to donate food or other items such as toiletries

Contact: 

Mala Naicker

Community Hubs Manager

Call or WhatsApp: 07932918026

Email: malafpm@googlemail.com

If you would like to Volunteer at one of our food hubs: 

please go to our Volunteering Page to sign up. 

Residents in need of food

If you are aware of someone in need of food as a result of Covid and lives in Lambeth, please refer them to the MyCommunity Gateway run by AgeUK Lambeth who can sign post them to local sources of food as well as a range of other support available.

Call MyCommunity Gateway on 0333 360 3700, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

or email mycommunity@ageuklambeth.org