Help with rising food costs
FoodCycle
FoodCycle Aylesbury welcomes anyone to attend as a guest and enjoy a free hot meal. All meals are meat and fish free so they are more accessible to those with religious, cultural and dietary requirements. There is no need to book, simply turn up on the day.
Local places such as these allow communities to come together, they tackle social isolation as well as providing a delicious meal, prepared by FoodCycle volunteers. For more information on FoodCycle, please visit their website where you can find your local centre.
If you or someone you know would be interested in attending, there is a FoodCycle every Tuesday, 6PM at Aylesbury Vineyard Church, The Vineyard Centre, Gatehouse Close, Aylesbury, HP19 8DN.
Local food swaps
For those looking for local initiatives to combat food waste, there are lots of apps available to help with this. Apps such as Olio and TwoGoodToGo allow the users to find and collect food that might be going to waste. These apps are great for if you’ve purchased something your children/family don’t like (or had the dreaded substitutions from online shopping). You can advertise the item on the app and a person in need will collect it.
Local swaps and recycling apps are also a great way to re-gift any unwanted/unsuitable items. Giving away food, clothing and homeware means less is going to landfills but it also saves people money in what is an already precarious time.
Youth Concern
Youth Concern have launched their first ever Youth Food Bank. 'Grow it Cook it Eat' is a community food growing and cooking project. It's aimed at communities who may experience financial hardship or have challenges accessing fresh fruit and vegetables.
Youth Concern has been distributing food and care parcels to vulnerable 13-25 year olds from across Aylesbury Vale for the last few years. Unfortunately, demand has been increasing but Youth Concern have been trying to meet that growing need.
'Next Step' is Youth Concern’s supported housing project which provides high-quality housing and support services to 18-25 year olds in Aylesbury Vale who are homeless or in need of housing. The residents at the 'Next Step' are feeling the cost of living crisis like many others this winter. They sometimes need food parcels from the Drop-In and co-operate with other residents to pool their food supplies and cook together. The 'Grow It Cook It Eat It' programme will take that education to the next level for the residents.