FoodCycle is a national charity that aims to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community. We caught up with Suzanne Waring, the Wales Regional Manager for FoodCycle, to find out more.

“FoodCycle hosts weekly free meals made from surplus food in community spaces across England and Wales. We have two Projects in Cardiff, FoodCycle Ely and FoodCycle Riverside and two more in Wales at Newport and Swansea. 

Each FoodCycle meal is run by a team of local volunteers who provide tasty, nutritious food shared across a table filled with friendly conversation to anyone who wants to come along. Without volunteers, we simply can’t provide a vital service to the community who have come to rely on the chance to sit down to a free, three-course meal every week. 

FoodCycle is always in need of volunteers to help us reach everyone who needs them, particularly with the cost-of-living crisis affecting people across the country. Volunteer roles are flexible, without a minimum time commitment and, like our meals, open to anyone! 

Our wonderful volunteers don’t require any specific skills but they do hopefully pick up some ‘FoodCycle magic’ along the way – from learning creative ways to turn worn veggies into delicious vegetarian meals to chatting with members of the community over a cuppa. There is a range of roles – from food collection and surplus food coordinators to being part of the kitchen team to welcoming and serving FoodCycle guests. We’d love to hear from people in the local area who are interested in helping us. 

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

We would like to thank Food Cardiff, who have helped the local team to identify the perfect venues for our weekly meals and introduce us to communities across the City.”

Paul, FoodCycle volunteer added; 

“Because of FoodCycle, I’ve found I enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen environment and it’s something I’d love to do as proper paid work. Being at FoodCycle every week helps to show that I am reliable, can work with other people and that I am committed, so it’s really changed things for me. We have a natter and a laugh, and I like the teamwork and the people. We eat good food and catch up on what we’ve been doing in the week. Everyone is very kind and very inclusive.”

FoodCycle Wales locations:

• FoodCycle Cardiff Ely every Monday from 6.30pm at Dusty Forge (ACE – Action in Caerau & Ely) 460 Cowbridge Road, Cardiff, CF5 5BZ
• FoodCycle Cardiff Riverside every Wednesday from 6.30pm at Wyndham Street, 3-5 Wyndham Street, CF11 6DQ

• FoodCycle Newport every Tuesday from 6.30pm at Community House, Eton Road, Newport, NP19 0BL

• FoodCycle Swansea Townhill every Monday at 6.30pm at The Phoenix Centre, Powys Avenue, Swansea, SA1 6PH

Website: www.foodcycle.org.uk  

Instagram: @foodcyclehq

Facebook: @foodcycle

Twitter: @foodcycle