Lidl Edinburgh Granton

(the company’s objects are:- (a) to support positive change in people's lives; (b) to promote equality and diversity and racial harmony based on equal value of all persons; (c) to promote the intellectual, social and physical well-being of all people who are deemed to need our service; (d) to advance education to enable people to improve their understanding of the world, of themselves and of one another; (e) to advance citizenship and community development to encourage the involvement of people in the care and work for others; (f) to relieve those in need by reason of their age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. We provide supported accommodation for 18 vulnerable adults and young people in our Crewe Road Gardens community.Food donations will be distributed to our service users free of charge.Service users are referred to us via Edinburgh City Council. We aim to use all the donated food from local supermarkets/shops to help combat food waste across the city and teach our residence an importance and value of food especially in current challenging economically times. We are very resourceful and can adjust our menu depending on current food donations. If there is surplus of veg/fruit we can make a cold pressed juice to last longer and can be kept in the fridge. Our young adults have an opportunity to take part in food preparation and improve their cooking skills which will be surely needed in their independent living as adults. Great popularity is our pizza nights which residents can you their imagination and creativity with this popular food which is great to minimize food waste. We believe that having a fully nutritious meals across day is essential to achieve their full potential and be at peak of energy:) We appreciate every donated food item or toys from local shops to cheer our residents up and express our gratitude to those who donate:) We are located in a disadvantage area of Pilton/Crewe with its own many problems and we aim to create a little oasis here for our residents to feel safe and valued. The donated food/items is essential to balance our limited budget too and allows us through money saved on shopping bill to focus on investing in them through expanding activities helping them to achieve their full potential:) To give an example: we have had a resident taken off street who was worried that coming to our premises would mean that he will eat 'junk' food:) He was surprised that he would have a regular access through food donation scheme to Pret a Manger avocado sandwiches and organic chicken from M&S!!:))) He was so happy that he will be able to eat healthy. Those little examples are inspiring our food collectors to keep going and they will gladly do this free of charge as you cannot put a price on disadvantaged residents smile while they receive lovely good donations:)

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.

Fresh Start is a local, Edinburgh charity that helps people who have been homeless and those living in poverty to resettle into their tenancy and back into the community again. Fresh Start helps by providing people with essential household items in the form of 'Starter Packs', as well as white goods and carpets to furnish their tenancy. Fresh Start also provide people with social and practical support from painting, to cooking to gardening to help people to learn independent living skills and rebuild their confidence