We've reached an incredible milestone at BLOT, providing the equivalent of more than 177,000 meals through our food redistribution work since 2020. It's an achievement made possible by volunteers, partners and a community committed to helping one another.
177,000 meals. It’s a pretty extraordinary number, and one that we’re incredibly proud to share.
Since 2020, BLOT has helped redistribute food equivalent to more than 177,000 meals, making good food available to people across our local communities while helping reduce unnecessary food waste.
Behind that number is an enormous amount of teamwork, from the organisations helping food reach us to the volunteers who sort, organise and distribute it, and the many people who make use of what’s available.
Food redistribution is one of the foundations of our work at BLOT. Through our Community Hub in Bugle and our mobile outreach, we help make fresh, frozen and ambient food available to households across the communities we support.
An important part of making this possible is our work with FareShare South West, an organisation dedicated to tackling food waste and supporting communities by redistributing surplus food. Food that might otherwise go to waste can instead be put to good use, helping people prepare meals, try different ingredients and make household budgets stretch a little further.
“It's not just about the number of meals. It's about the people and volunteers who make sure good food gets used in our community.”
Tracie
Of course, there’s a lot more involved than simply receiving a delivery. Food needs to be collected or received, checked, stored appropriately, sorted and made available through our services. Fresh produce, frozen items and cupboard essentials all need different handling, and ensuring food is distributed safely is an important part of the work.
Our volunteers make an enormous contribution to this process, helping keep everything running and making sure the food reaches the people who can use it.
We’re also keen to make food redistribution as welcoming and accessible as possible. People’s circumstances can change quickly, and the pressure of managing household costs is something many of us recognise. Whether someone is dealing with a difficult month, looking to reduce food waste or trying to make their weekly budget go further, we want our services to be approachable and free from judgement.
Food is also often the starting point for a wider conversation. Someone visiting for groceries might discover a community activity, ask about help with an online form or find out about a specialist organisation that can support them with something else. That’s why we see food redistribution as part of a much broader approach to community wellbeing.
And we’re continuing to develop that work, including through new partnerships that help people make the most of the ingredients available, learn practical cooking skills and explore affordable nutrition.
Reaching 177,000 meals is a significant achievement, but we know there’s still plenty to do. We’d like to thank FareShare South West, our food partners, volunteers, supporters and everyone who has contributed to this work over the years.
Every delivery, every volunteer shift and every contribution has helped us reach this milestone. And together, we’ll keep making sure good food is put to good use in our communities.
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