In its first three months, the first van has delivered more than 140,000 meals. Fund-raising for a second van is now well advanced.
The Livery Food Initiative and City Harvest are delighted with the initial generosity of over forty Livery Companies who have donated through the Livery Food Initiative. The £190,000 raised so far has enabled City Harvest to buy and keep a refrigerated Sprinter van on the road for three years. The van, which was presented to City Harvest by the Lord Mayor in early March, has delivered in its first three months food for over 140,000 meals from over 58 tons of rescued food and in so doing prevented 138 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
City Harvest describes itself as a rapid response emergency food service and the Livery Food Initiative is wanting to be rapid and responsive in helping to meet its needs. LFI had planned that they would fund a second (and hopefully third) Sprinter van but in conversation with City Harvest it is clear that the desperate need is for a 7.5 ton lorry which can collect larger volumes of food to deliver to the depots for sorting before distribution. It costs £270,000 to fund such a vehicle for three years – and the immediate target of the Livery Food initiative is to raise £90,000 to meet the first year running costs.
For further information please visit the City Harvest website, or contact or email Hilary Lindsay.
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