Aylesbury food poverty charity wins community gong at Proud of Bucks Awards

A food poverty charity in Aylesbury received a community award at this year’s Pride of Bucks event.

FoodCycle, which tackles food poverty, loneliness and food waste, won the Community Group Contribution Award.

Team members were presented with a trophy at the Pride of Bucks Awards ceremony 2023.

FoodCycle volunteers Barry Kirwan, Karen Hartmann and Penny Roberts attended the event.

The charity’s Aylesbury team are based at the Vineyard Centre.

FoodCycle is a national charity that provides free weekly community meals to people in need throughout the UK. These meals are made using produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Currently, the not-for-profit group has 73 teams set up in England and Wales. It has been delivering meals and offering conversations to the Aylesbury community since June 2022.

FoodCycle South East regional manager Timea Cheeseman said: “We are thrilled to win this award, particularly as it is designed to recognise the unsung heroes in the the local community.

"It celebrates our amazing Aylesbury team who work tirelessly every week to create incredible nutritious meals for the community from surplus food. Giving our guests the chance to chat and enjoy a free meal in a warm, welcoming space has always been our top priority and we are so proud of our volunteers who make this magic happen every single week.”

The Proud of Bucks Awards celebrates organisations that have demonstrated care, creativity and commitment towards their local areas. They recognise and applaud outstanding community contribution carried out by local volunteers.

Since the cost of living crisis started, FoodCycle volunteers are busier than ever, and the national charity now operates 65 Projects where they are needed in communities across the country.

A recent guest survey found that 63 per cent FoodCycle guests say they cannot afford to buy the food they need, 75 per cent of FoodCycle guests say they often skip meals, 87 per cent of FoodCycle guests said that coming to a FoodCycle meal makes them feel part of their community.

FoodCycle’s free community meals are open to all, and guests range from low-income families, people affected by homelessness, locals who are simply lonely and those who cannot afford to buy food. No questions asked, you can just turn up and take a seat.