A community group providing 50,000 meals a week to the hungry in Haringey is crowdfunding to keep going, after the council announced it was ending its partnership as lockdown eases.
Edible London (EL) is looking to raise £100,000 to continue work, and to help find a new home after Haringey Council called time on its work with the organisation.
The decision from the town hall, made citing a decline for demand for food deliveries, means EL will no longer be able to operate from Alexandra Palace or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Edible’s founder Sunny Karagozlu said: “Them winding down means we’re no longer able to use Ally Pally.
“Ally Pally are doing everything they can to support but they can only do so much. They have honoured their name as the people’s palace.”
Louise Stewart, Ally Pally’s chief exec, said: “Now that lockdown is lifting our focus is changing to carefully and sensitively restarting our events and activities on site, but we are keen to explore how the relationships we have built during this time could provide future opportunities to benefit the community.”
EL’s volunteers take surplus food from Spitalfields Market and sort it ready for collection, while others turn onion sacks into shopping bags and make eco bricks from plastic packaging and disposable gloves.
Sunny started the company in response to the growing crisis in homelessness and malnutrition, and after scaling up during lockdown, has served 400,000 meals since mid-March.
“We are in a position to do a lot more,” said Sunny. “But we need the support of our community. People think the lockdown is being eased but that doesn’t mean that poverty’s being eased ”
A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “The council has reached out to all households that have received support during the pandemic, advising that, whilst we are tapering down the food hub, we are continuing to offer direct support and advice to all those who need it.”
The crowdfunder is more than £80,000 short of it’s target. To donate, go to crowdfunder.co.uk/ediblelondon
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