Sainsbury's Edinburgh Lothian Rd Local

The Food Rescue Group, Edinburgh was established by Suyash Mishra, 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. The day-to-day operation of the Food Rescue Group is led and managed by Suyash and Marina, who oversee all aspects of the initiative. This includes coordinating volunteers, organising surplus food collections, communicating with retailers and partner organisations, managing collection schedules, arranging distribution, responding to last-minute changes, and ensuring food reaches recipient locations safely and on time. Their hands-on management helps maintain an efficient, reliable, and community-centred operation across Edinburgh. 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 helps maintain high 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. Suyash and Marina use this system to coordinate volunteers, respond quickly to changing collection requirements, and ensure the smooth running of rescue and redistribution activities. Through this initiative, we are reducing methane emissions and resource waste by diverting surplus food from landfill. Our work supports 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 aim to foster shared ownership of the solution to food waste. As we continue to develop and 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.

The objects for which the charity is established are:- The prevention and/or relief of poverty by promoting and/or delivery of services, alone or in conjunction with others, that provide support and advice to people who are homeless or in other ways disadvantaged and vulnerable. The advancement of health by the promotion and/or delivery of services, alone or in conjunction with others, that encourage and emphasise healthy lifestyle matters to people who are homeless or in other ways disadvantaged and vulnerable. The advancement of community development by the promotion and/or delivery, alone or in conjunction with others, of learning and employability opportunities enabling people who are homeless or in other ways disadvantaged and vulnerable to be socially included and economically contribute to civic life. The advancement of education in the community by promoting and/or delivery of services, alone or in conjunction with others, that assist people who are homeless or in other ways disadvantaged and vulnerable with literacy, numeracy, life skills, work skills and social activities. The advancement of environmental protection and/or improvement by the promotion and/or delivery of services, alone or in conjunction with others, that reuse and/or recycle items from the waste stream. The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, financial hardship or other disadvantage by promoting and/or delivery of services, alone or in conjunction with others, that provide support, advice, practical assistance and opportunity to improve their circumstances. The promotion of equality and diversity by encouraging participation and integration into a range of inclusive and accessible programmes which strive to bring together a cross section of the community. We identify service users and their needs by referral, assessment, feedback equalities forum. Our organisation offers services to those in young people homeless hostels, domestic violence hostels and there is no charge for any services provided by our organisation.

St Nicholas Church, Sighthill has had a longstanding connection with children in the parish and beyond, dating back to 1939, when our congregation was established. We are growing steadily, as a local church in the community and, in particular, in the ministry of care and support for families and children in our parish. Our most recent annual event, which attracts around 180 children and their families, is St Nicholas Day. We hold this celebration at the beginning of the advent season and on Sunday that is closest to St Nicholas Day (6th December). It is attended by; (a) children who come to our Sunday school (Navigators) and messy church (held on the first Friday of every month) events, (b) grandchildren and great-grandchildren of our church members, (c) children who live and play in the parish or who go to the four primary schools located in (or close to) the parish (Murrayburn, Sighthill, Canal View and St Josephs) and (c) around 100 children in all the groups (Monday Rainbows and Brownies, Tuesday Rainbows and Brownies, Elite dancers, Karate group, Cheeky monkey’s Toddler group and Demarco Dance group) that use our buildings during the week. Our focus, on St Nicholas Day, is to create a free, happy and safe space where our church, community and especially the friends of the church can share gifts and talents and help, in all ways possible, to make Christmas a happy and special time for children. In addition to St Nichoals Day, Sunday services, Mid-week meetings and other special gatherings, we hold regular family and community events in our buildings. including; a coffee morning (on Wednesdays 10:30 am – 12:30 pm) and Together@lunch (a free community lunch held, twice a month, in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust, Be Healthy Together and other groups). Also, thanks to our growing partnership with Neighbourly, we now pass on around 600kg of food items, donated to us by M&S, to individuals, families and groups in our community We are exploring ways of developing this initiative into a project (Let’s Eat Together) where on the one hand, we’ll support the vision of M&S and other superstores to reduce, by one half, the amount food wasted in their stores and, on the other, pass on food to the elderly, vulnerable and needy individuals and families in our community. Again, we are keen, very keen to set up a community project (Let’s Eat Together) which will include together@lunch and two Community Food and Fridge hubs. We plan to locate one of these hubs in the Calders (where we work well and in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust, Calder Residents Association, local schools and other groups). The second will be located in our premises. Like the 75 other community food an Fridge hubs in the UK, we are keen to see this these hubs serve our community well as a place to share food in empowering and respectful ways, reduce waste, encourage connection and promote, to use an African term, a sense of communalism.