Getir Mitcham

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

We are concerned about the increasing numbers of families that are struggling to feed their children. We knew that we could offer a solution if we came together and made a plan. This is how the Big Dinner event was launched. Our catering team provide a hot dinner, dessert and drinks free of charge. On the evening there is also live music provided as entertainment. Our target audience are the homeless, those living in temporary accommodation and families on low incomes. To this end we send out information to local hostels, approach people living on the streets and also visit the local Job centres. Members of our volunteer team also spread the information and we use social media platforms to advertise the event as well. It has proven a great success and we want to increase the frequency of our Big Dinner event this year. At the end of every event everyone who attends can usually get a take away container of food. We would like to be able to offer food parcels (non-perishables) and toiletries for those in need. Some of the indcators of success that have been identified are that the event provides opportunities for people to dine with others and breakdown social isolation issues. It also provides opportunities for people of all ages to socialise together and cuts across race and gender barriers too.