ALDI EDINBURGH - COMMERCIAL ST

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.

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.

Homeless Project Scotland is a fledgling charity, set up in October 2019 by a handful of volunteers that wanted to give homeless people on the streets  of our towns and cities hot drinks and food during the harsh winter nights. Initially we set out with backpacks of flasks and sandwiches walking the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh to ensure that anyone found struggling was able at least to get a hot drink and something to eat. Within a short period of time, we managed to recruit a team of volunteers who began to distribute a selection of food, essential toiletries and warm clothes.  We were  fortunate to enlist the support from major companies such as Aldi, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer, who have kindly donated supplies of food which we collect  during the day and then distribute to homeless shelters throughout Glasgow, Edinburgh and Lanarkshire in the evenings. Recently we were generously given free use of a van from Arnold  Clark which has enabled us to increase our collections and deliveries. Within six months we also managed to buy and renovate an old trailer which we use to provide a soup kitchen in Glasgow city centre three nights a week. The Covid-19 crisis has forced us off the streets and we have adapted our services to continue to support the homeless and vulnerable by providing home-cooked meals prepared by our volunteers , which we deliver weekly to homeless projects around Glasgow and Lanarkshire. 2,500 Weekly. A grant from Foundation Scotland has enabled us to set up a 24 hour telephone helpline. Cash for kids have provided funding  for food parcels, top up cards for utilities and mobile phones. We have also been able to provide mobile phones to the most vulnerable allowing them to access help and support services.  A grant from the William Grant Foundation has made it possible  to purchase office equipment, enabling us to  improve and expand our services to an ever increasing client base. By July 2020 We  have provided 2500 meals weekly to the homeless and vulnerable.   http://www.homelessprojectscotland.org/our-story/