ALDI HOLBECK - LEEDS

ln August 2007, ECE recieved a Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of 300,000 members of the IYF (International Youth Fellowship) for our contribution to the UK branch. In September 2008, Esther Community Enterprise was awarded certificates from the Lord Mayor of Croydon, for having carried out 100 hours of volunteering activities. On the 2 June 2011, ECE was awarded with theQueens Award for Voluntary Service, MBE. This is the highest award given to voluntary groups in the United Kingdom, and as such, is equivalent in status to the MBE. This prestigious UK National Honour recognises outstanding voluntary contributions and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged to be of the highest standard. We aim to meet those who have needs in the local community by redistribution of food and other consumables donated from retailers. ECE makes a worthwhile collective response to the 3 tenets of sustainable development, namely social, economical and environmental needs. ECE forms a consortium with other charities, faith groups, projects and organisations. We have over 70 Project Co-ordinators. They manage and help to distribute the food/groceries and clothing items within the local communities across the UK, on behalf of ECE. We have sustained our social enterprise through the goodwill and hard work of over 400 drivers and countless volunteers, who contribute their time, transportation and finance to this worthy cause. Near sell by date food is collected on a daily basis from a range of supermarkets and other retailers and diverted to those that need it most ECE feeds in excess of 40,000 people per week and this is steadily on the increase as we expand across the UK

Rethink Food is an award winning non-profit organisation recognised as one of the UK’s Top 100 social enterprises in the NatWest SE100 Index 2025...on a mission to create a generation of healthy, food-literate, and environmentally conscious young people. We intercept and make sense of food surplus. Educate and empower people to live food secure lives. Redistributing to primary schools, families and those that need it. We also offer education to make the food system fair and sustainable.

Social Justice is important in all aspects of society. Leeds is rich with a diverse community of multi ethnic and multi faith communities. However, women suffer greatly due to social deprivation and poverty. Women from BAME communities have a double disadvantage due to racism, language & access barriers. We would like to achieve these goals mentioned above because we view food as a tool for social development that can be used to reduce poverty and social inequalities, This project will also encourage women empowerment, tackle loneliness of the elderly, and help children and young people overcome violence, strengthen the SU mental health, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives. The people that will benefit from this project are: • Invisible Victims of Domestic Violence • Migrants, refugees and Asylum seekers • People with learning disabilities and special educational needs We believe this project can make a significant change in the quality of life of these individual. We use Goal 2 from the SDG as an inspiration to tackle acute hunger in deprived communities. This project will meet the immediate food needs of vulnerable women and other vulnerable people. The uniqueness of this project is to provide a discreet and inclusive service for women to engage with confidence and dignity. However, the main purpose of this project is to ensure victims of domestic violence and crisis have immediate access to food to relieve acute hunger. Referral - professional referrals are being taken and self referrals too. Operating via deliveries to the door.