Pret A Manger

Feeding folk in crisis across the Meadows and the wider city. We gave away over 32 tonnes of food in 2025 to those in need and worked with others to lay on a free weekly community meal and a warm hub cafe, recycling food that would have otherwise gone to landfill. Providing Christmas support for local families see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8946jgy0no

We opened Northolt Food Hun on 2nd December 2022 at Viking Community Centre in Northolt. We currently have 100 families we support and also have Salvation Army in Greenford to support (30) families. We are a non profitable charity and solely rely on donations from local supermarkets etc. we do have lions club Wembley supporting us over the last few weeks. We would very much like support from Neighbourly to support our food hub too. We have families who are vegetarian, halal and non halal. We would accept meat, bakery, tinned food, fruit and vegetables etc. we would like to thank you in advance considering to support our food hub. Miss Ragini Patel BEM Ps I have been honoured by the queen earlier last year for my continued support in the communities. We receive support of surplus food from Farm Foods in Yiewsley, Sainsbury’s local in Northolt and Wenzels both in Greenford and Northolt. We support organisations such as Jalaram Mandir with bakery items, church in Wembley every Saturday with Wenzels bakery and we support Salvation Army in Greenford - Kath, and a hotel locally where it has asylum seekers who are so grateful for all surplus food - halal only. We are extending our supporting to surrounding areas/boroughs too. We would like to request donations from any supermarkets, nandos, or restaurants that have any surplus food so that we are able to support more charities, families etc.

Our project started by simply distributing surplus food to people in need. Slowly our network got bigger that we could not knock on each door on our list anymore, so we agreed I park at one point everyday after collection, and people come to take food. At first people were reluctant to come out of their houses, specially after many recent crimes that happened in Parry road. But slowly people started having the trust to come out and have small chat, and in few weeks all the community were waiting for the slot to distribute, only to meet and have small chat. One lady told me I lived at my address for over 15 years, and this is the first time I know who are my neighbours. We created whatsapp group where I post photo of the food collected, and people get notified so they come and wait. Then we added on the group posting unwanted clothes or furniture, and people welcomed the idea and used it a lot. Now the charity who was giving us the slots ended, people were sad. First they were relying financially a lot on this food, and 2nd they stopped coming out and gathering for chats when taking food. People and children are stopping me in the streets to ask me why we stopped or when we are coming back. I can provide more than 50 family contacts, and I can provide extract of the group chats as testimonial of our work for the last few years. In the last year our group expanded a lot. Many people volunteered, we have in total 23 volunteers who are reaching more areas, more people in need, and more charities. We distribute in weekly basis to Lebanese welfare community in Kilburn, to al Nour Arabic school, Mozart street hostel for homeless. One of our volunteers works in care home in Maida Vale and she takes sandwiches and cakes to elderly people who waits for it. Also we do distribute in Harrow road near Zagros where many people who are in need gather evening. We give to Emmanuel Pantry Harrow road 2 days a week. We distribute to Avenues club in Third Avenue, and to the food bank in Queenspark Primary. Our group is always open to anyone who wants to join. People from the group always send me messages to add more people they know or they just met and they believe they need those donations. Our group currently has 70 members, who some of them also take to people they know.