The Surplus Suppers are an outlet for low income families and individuals to enjoy a free hot meal. Our pop-ups are open to everyone in the community and operate on a ‘donate as you dine' system to give the opportunity for attendees to pay forward if possible. Contributions help make efforts of UKHarvest sustainable, to continue its work to rescue surplus food that is delivered to those in need. One in four low-income households in the UK struggling to eat regularly or healthily , UKHarvest aims to provide all members of the community the opportunity for access to a good quality, nutritious meal cooked with care, using a portion of the food rescued by the charity from local donors. UKHarvest CEO & Founder, Yvonne Thomson, says “The dinners not only aim to raise awareness on the scale of food waste in the UK and provide a hot meal for vulnerable people in the community, but also to create training opportunities for young people in cooking and hospitality.”

What we'll deliver:

• Evening Meals- 4-6 meals per month providing 180 hot meals monthly
• Deliver food to those in need
• Divert waste food from landfill

Why it's a great idea:

With community support UKHarvest will have the capacity to deliver more nutritious foods to rurally deprived areas in West Sussex such as Selsey, Bognor, Littlehampton, Midhurst and Central Chichester. Penetration of the most deprived Lower Super Output Area (LSOA's) will allow for a reliable outlet for vulnerable people to get a nutritious meal with the option of taking fresh produce away with them. UKHarvest is a for-impact perishable food rescue organisation that collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it direct and free of charge to charitable and welfare agencies working with homeless and vulnerable people in the UK. Our mission in the UK is to ‘Nourish our Nation’: eliminating hunger and food waste through the redistribution of good food, educating and engaging with communities and inspiring innovation. With funding support we will have capacity to deliver a reliable service to vulnerable beneficiaries throughout the county and rural areas.

Steps to get it done:

• Purchase Equipment for Event Prep
• Purchase Advertising and Promo material for awareness raising and branding purposes
• Generate public interest through website and social media as well as local networks
• Commit venues for events per month
• Gain sign ups
• Recruit volunteers for all events (3 per event)
• Gain local support from bistros/ restaurants and suppliers to hold events and donate food
• Project delivery in 6 LSAO areas

We are looking for supporters to help with our funding raising efforts to ensure our operations, service and nutritional programmes are as penetrative as possible. Funding will allow for UKHarvest to 'spread the word' through advertising the benefits our organisation can provide to those most in need. In addition, funds will be used for 'staple kit equipment' that will be used by chefs and volunteers to create the meals at each Surplus Supper.