Hundreds of school children and their families are being given free, nutritious food that would have previously been thrown away, courtesy of charity The Felix Project.

Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, was granted a tour of the charity’s distribution centre in Enfield (on Wednesday 12 September), where she learned about the aims of the project, how good food is being put to use to help meet the nutritional needs of families and at the same time, helping to reduce the mountains of waste from unsold or unwanted produce.

The project is now delivering to over 20 of Enfield’s primary schools, so parents and children can take away food to prepare healthy meals or snacks.

Cllr Caliskan said: “Our schools play an incredibly important role in providing healthy and nutritious meals to children, to help them reach their full potential mentally and physically. By also opening their doors to the incredibly generous The Felix Project, we are making sure pupils will be able to continue on their healthy journeys at home.

“We recognise that some people are struggling to make ends meet, and in this day and age, it’s regrettable that some people have to turn to food banks. So we are grateful that The Felix Project is happy to work with our schools which are ideally placed to support families.

“This project also benefits the whole borough. By involving local businesses and volunteers, we not only come together to weave a stronger fabric in our community but we are also helping the environment by reducing food waste and seeing the real value of good food.”

The Felix Project is a charity that collects good quality surplus food from producers and suppliers. The food is stored in a depot in Enfield and donations are then delivered to community groups and charities who can provide meals or food parcels to those in need. There is a steadily growing number of suppliers making donations; Reynolds, Greggs, Warburtons, Bookers, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, M&S and JJs Foodservice are some of the businesses who are currently donating surplus food that could have otherwise been sent away in rubbish bins.

Anne Elkins, development manager at The Felix Project, said: “We are pleased to be supporting schools and charities in Enfield to get access to good food and are glad Enfield Council is highlighting the hard work of those involved. Every day, collections of food from suppliers and free deliveries to charities are made possible by our volunteer drivers, co-drivers and warehouse assistants. The food that is redistributed by our Enfield depot helps provide around 12,500 meals a week to people in need.”

If you’d like to volunteer, please contact the Felix Project via its website  or ask @EnfieldCouncil on Twitter or Facebook for details.