Sainsbury's Edinburgh Causewayside Local

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.

Places for People’s Hay Avenue Community Hub in Edinburgh is a welcoming community space designed to support local residents through a wide range of social, educational and wellbeing activities. The hub provides services such as ESOL classes, employability support, community pantry access, youth clubs, cultural groups and peer support sessions, helping to reduce isolation, improve skills and promote inclusion. It reflects Places for People’s wider social impact aims, which focus on creating thriving communities, tackling barriers such as unemployment and social exclusion, improving health and wellbeing, and generating measurable social value. Guided by values centred on inclusivity, empowerment and community connection, the hub demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to supporting people beyond housing by strengthening relationships, opportunities and resilience within the local area.

The ‘Greenhouse Pantry’ is there to increase access and affordability of nutritious food to those living in the Greater Craigmillar area who may be on a limited food budget and experiencing food insecurity. Using ‘Your Local Pantry’ model which gives individuals and families living in Craigmillar access to a £4.50 weekly membership to purchase 10 food items plus fruits, vegetables and bread which would equate to £20 worth of food. The fruits and vegetables available also feature locally grown produce from our community garden as well as freshly prepared nutritious meals to be stored in fridges/freezers for members to pick up.