Funding will enable Food Friends to expand their service

FOOD Friends is a registered charity working to combat loneliness and isolation through food and friendship.

They run a meal-sharing initiative which connects people who love to cook and are willing to share an extra portion of their home-cooked food with a neighbour who would benefit from a delicious meal and friendly chat.

In September Kent Community Foundation awarded Food Friends £13,000 towards a management salary that will give the organisation an additional 20 hours per week to enable them to expand their geographical catchment and undertake the necessary organisational changes to provide the service across the Canterbury District and develop the initiative in Faversham. 

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, of Kent Community Foundation, said:

“We all learnt valuable lessons during the pandemic about how important it is for everybody in the community to look out for family members, friends, neighbours, and colleagues. The Food Friends project is doing just this for elderly residents, and we are delighted to be funding this important community initiative.” 

Anna Mantell, Founder, Food Friends:

“A meal is so much more than ingredients on a plate, nourishment beyond nutrition; it brings kindness and connection which is exactly what lies at the heart of the Food Friends model. In the last 12 months, we have supported over 100 volunteers who have delivered over 2700 portions of home-cooked food to elderly residents experiencing loneliness or isolation in Whitstable. Over the next twelve months, Food Friends aims to grow our initiative, expanding our catchment to meet the needs of residents across the Canterbury district and the Kent Community Foundation grant will enable us to pay for the additional hours required to manage this much-needed extension of our service.”

Josephine McCartney, Chief Executive, of Kent Community Foundation, continued:

“Data we commissioned for our Needs Analysis Report revealed that the Canterbury district has a need for additional support for the elderly and isolated. The Food Friends initiative which helps those feeling isolated, lonely or disconnected fits perfectly within our funding priorities, and we have been delighted to support them since June 2021 with grants totalling £24,700.”

To contact Kent Community Foundation about funding for charities and community groups call 01303 814500, email admin@kentcf.org.uk or visit: www.kentcf.org.uk/funding.