Food Rescue Group, Edinburgh
Edinburgh, UK
The Food Rescue Group, Edinburgh was established by Ankita Gupta, a student at the University of Edinburgh, to address the growing challenges of food waste, climate change, and local food insecurity.
In an era defined by environmental strain, resource scarcity, and ecological imbalance, this initiative is both timely and essential. A core focus of our work is tackling food waste, a significant issue that results in the loss of valuable resources and contributes substantially to methane emissions from landfill. Addressing this problem is both an environmental necessity and a moral responsibility, as redistributing surplus food can provide meaningful support to local families and individuals in need.
We work closely with local producers and retailers to ensure surplus food is rescued rather than discarded. These partnerships allow businesses to reduce disposal costs while delivering measurable environmental and social benefits to the community.
Local food collection and distribution across Edinburgh is led by Suyash and Mariana, with vital support from Ankita and Alba , who oversees volunteer scheduling, manages collections, and ensures timely delivery to recipient locations. Their leadership helps maintain efficiency, safety, and a strong community-centred approach in all our operations.
Our mission is powered by dedicated local volunteers who collect and distribute surplus food shortly after it becomes available. This rapid turnaround ensures freshness, removes the need for storage, and upholds the highest standards of food safety and quality. Every item is carefully inspected, and any food deemed unsuitable is disposed of responsibly to minimise environmental impact.
Volunteer coordination is managed through a dedicated WhatsApp group, providing real-time updates on collection times, locations, and available quantities. This streamlined communication system enables fast response times and ensures the smooth running of our rescue and redistribution efforts.
Through this initiative, we are significantly reducing methane emissions and resource waste by diverting large volumes of food from landfill. Our work benefits those in immediate need while remaining open to anyone who values food, sustainability, and responsible consumption. By engaging a broad cross-section of the community, we foster shared ownership of the solution to food waste.
As we continue to refine our approach, we are making meaningful progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. Join us in Edinburgh and help make a difference, one meal, one volunteer, and one community at a time.
What we've received
Meals264,308
Non-food (tonnes)0.91
Money£250
Redeemed Christian Church Of God - Open Heavens Edinburgh (RCCG OHE)
Edinburgh, UK
RCCG OHE promotes the Christian faith and its values amongst its members and the community at large. We support our members in education and training in accordance with biblical standards.
In partnership with other community organisations, we deliver a number of community initiatives including the youth wellbeing project and food share project - Banquet Food Basket.
As part of our Banquet Food Basket project, we partnered with FareShare UK to collect excess food from super markets including Tesco, Bookers and cooperative which we re-distribute to the community. This program runs on weekends when most of other food projects in the community aren't open contributing towards sustainable development goals outcome of No Poverty, No Hunger, Climate Action, Health and Wellbeing.
Our initiatives are delivered at our premises located at 75-75A Open Heavens Edinburgh and our services are provided free of charge creating a community of inclusivity.
We also provide a community meal on the first Sunday of the month, providing an opportunity of our members to connect and build relationships.
Over Christmas we also provide Christmas Food Hampers to community members, a program that has been running for now 3 years, going forward we hope to partner with stores for donations to support this initiative.
What we've received
Meals9,037
Non-food (tonnes)0.20
Money£250
Tummies Not Trash
Edinburgh, UK
At Tummies Not Trash, we believe good food belongs in tummies, not in the trash.
Our volunteer team operates 7 days a week, collecting surplus food from retailers across Edinburgh and redistributing it through our central Hub, helping ensure perfectly good food is eaten rather than wasted.
Food collected through our network is made available in a number of ways: Free items, including bread, fruit, vegetables and other short-life produce, are available to all throughout our opening hours. Within the Hub, chilled, frozen and ambient items are also redistributed through our community basket model, with voluntary donations helping to support transport, storage, premises and the ongoing running of the charity.
To maximise impact and minimise waste, surplus food from our Hub is also shared daily with partner organisations across Edinburgh, including schools, libraries, lunch clubs and community centres, helping extend the reach of good food into local communities.
Everything we do is built around our simple goal: reducing food waste, supporting communities, and making the very most of food that would otherwise go to waste.
What we've received
Meals585,738
Non-food (tonnes)6.04
Money£250