The road-up covers the number of experience and data that make our capital nice – from politics and media, the humanities, music, meals, to science and medication.
The charity gave out the equal of 32 million meals to individuals throughout each London borough.
Over the following few months, we’ll be showcasing extra individuals from the record, so be sure to keep watch over our feed.
You could find The Commonplace on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you stream.
Right here’s a totally automated transcript of this episode:
From London, I am Rachelle Abbott, and that is The Commonplace.
The London Commonplace is unveiling The Commonplace 100, a listing of the highest 100 women and men shaping the capital in 2024.
The extraordinary lineup covers a variety of classes and sectors that make our capital nice, from politics and media, the humanities, music, meals, to science and medication.
To seek out out extra, this is The London Commonplace’s editor-in-chief, Dylan Jones.
Our capital is clearly the best metropolis on the planet, and we now have such a wealth of inventive expertise in London.
And periodically, we wish to have a good time that, which is what we have completed this week by selecting 100 individuals who the collective minds of The Commonplace assume are shaping our metropolis.
And that is individuals concerned in music and trend, tradition and leisure, politics, science, transport, artwork, and surroundings, eating places, all kinds of people who find themselves typically contributing to the success and the cultural IP and the expansion of our metropolis.
London is so nice as a result of I believe there’s something regenerative in regards to the metropolis.
Era after era of extremely gifted individuals appear to come back to London and are born by London.
And regardless that London could be a very difficult place to develop up in and even to maneuver to, it frequently surprises itself, I believe, with this, as I say, this fixed regeneration of younger terribly gifted individuals.
And this record is a mirrored image of a few of these younger individuals in addition to some individuals who have been extra established and who contribute to the IP and the final inventive welfare of our metropolis.
And you may see this record in at the moment’s paper, The London Commonplace, so please choose one up.
Over the following few months, we’ll be showcasing these on the record.
Right now, we’re kicking off with Charlotte Hill, Chief Government of Meals Redistribution Charity, The Felix Undertaking, which final yr gave out the equal of 32 million meals to individuals throughout each London borough.
Welcome to the podcast, Charlotte.
Thanks a lot for having me.
No, it is a pleasure to have you ever.
For any listeners that do not know, what’s the story behind The Felix Undertaking?
What do you do and the way do you use?
So I’ve the nice privilege of being the Chief Government of The Felix Undertaking.
We rescue surplus meals that might in any other case go to waste.
We kind it in our warehouses or we prepare dinner it in Felix’s kitchen, after which we distribute it to over 1,200 charities day by day, proper throughout the yr, 364 days a yr.
And we do this with the assistance of 15,000 superb volunteers.
And we’re on monitor to do about 37 million meals this yr, to present you a way of the size.
And the rationale why we’re referred to as The Felix Undertaking is as a result of there was an excellent younger man referred to as Felix, who was enthusiastic about each meals waste and meals insecurity.
He had performed soccer towards boys who had not eaten breakfast.
And he thought this was completely horrible, that there have been boys of his age who hadn’t eaten.
And so he was a passionate campaigner about this work.
Now, very tragically, and immediately, he died at age 14.
And his dad and mom, after his loss of life, thought slightly than do one thing round meningitis, which is what he died of, they thought what could be impacts that Felix would need to have on this planet had he lived.
And they also arrange The Felix Undertaking, which is that this magical group that genuinely provides hope to 1000’s and 1000’s and 1000’s of Londoners each week who’re in any other case struggling to place meals on the desk, in addition to having a extremely vital environmental influence.
And the way lengthy did it take from creating the thought to when it kicked off?
So we’re eight years outdated as a corporation now.
So we have been a extremely younger charity nonetheless, and we now have scaled extremely rapidly, nevertheless it began off simply as a really small sort of storage in West London, the place we have been doing actually small volumes.
And has scaled now, we have 4 totally different warehouses that do meals throughout London in North, South, East and West London.
We now have one thing referred to as Felix’s Multibank out West the place we rescue different surplus objects like toiletries and bedding and hygiene merchandise that we give to communities who’re struggling.
we now have Felix’s Kitchen the place we prepare dinner about 5,000 meals a day.
Are you doing any work with the federal government?
We’re working with the federal government.
I imply, we work with native authorities on a regular basis.
We work with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, who’s been an incredible supporter of our work, each throughout the sort of vacation starvation programmes we’re doing.
However truly, we’re for the time being asking the nationwide authorities to essentially assist us entry extra surplus meals.
There may be a lot meals wasted on the farm gate significantly that we might be accessing.
However equally, there’s a number of totally different legislative or regulatory issues the federal government may do this imply we may entry much more meals.
So there’s quite a bit we’re asking Rachel Reeves to do that week, but additionally truly throughout authorities round how we will most assist individuals with getting that meals out of the meals system to individuals in want.
Inform us about your background.
What led you to work at The Felix Undertaking?
That is my third charity chief government job.
I used to be a charity chief government of two different organizations working with younger individuals previous to the pandemic.
After which throughout the pandemic, I noticed how many individuals have been struggling.
And this trigger simply actually spoke to me as one thing that was actually essential.
And so I utilized to hitch The Felix Undertaking about three years in the past now.
And can’t inform you what a joyful job it’s.
I believe you’ll be able to think about that typically while you’re coping with people who find themselves actually struggling to eat, it may really feel prefer it’s a extremely hopeless and a troublesome time.
And it by no means seems like that at Felix.
Felix is a spot the place individuals come of their 1000’s to volunteer as a result of it’s an empowering, joyful, can-do place the place a neighborhood of individuals come collectively to say, We do not need this meals to go to waste.
We would like it to go to individuals who actually need it.
Truly, it is probably the most energizing, superior place to work.
It seems like truthfully such a present of a job to get to do.
And what drives you in your function as Chief Exec?
Properly, various issues.
I assume the very first thing is the influence we now have.
You would need to have a coronary heart of stone to not really feel actually pleased with the truth that one, this meals could be going to waste if it wasn’t from this group, which is in itself an environmental scandal.
However secondly, to see the influence the meals has, you understand, I am a mum of two, I can’t think about the stress of not having the ability to put meals on the desk for them.
So I believe one of many issues that drives me is, it is sensible to see the influence that this meals has.
However the different factor is that neighborhood of individuals I described earlier, it’s so motivating to be surrounded by such sensible, spectacular, dedicated, devoted colleagues, colleagues and volunteers who all come collectively, in addition to that wider neighborhood of meals provide companions, the neighborhood organizations and funders and volunteers.
It is simply, it is an incredible place to work.
So I am motivated by the impacts, however I am extremely motivated by the individuals as nicely.
What’s probably the most difficult a part of your job?
Probably the most troublesome half is the truth that we assist 1,200 neighborhood organizations, however we now have about 750 on our ready record.
In order that’s 750 home violence shelters or homeless shelters or meals banks who’re all asking for our meals and who we won’t but present to.
And until we get three issues, a rise in funding, a rise in meals and a rise in volunteers, we simply will not be capable of attain them.
I wish to be scared and a bit challenged day by day by doing one thing exterior my consolation zone.
And I believe that is the way you develop.
And failure and all of these issues is how we get higher.
We’ll see you again right here in only a minute.
So, how does it really feel to be on The Commonplace’s 100 record?
I believe it is a huge testomony to The Felix Undertaking, truly, and the place it has now, as we need to be considered one of London’s best-loved charities.
And it actually seems like that.
This is a corporation by Londoners for Londoners.
As I mentioned, 1000’s of Londoners come and provides their time to Felix yearly.
And that is as a result of it is an incredible place.
So clearly, it is a huge privilege to be named.
However truly, that is about The Felix Undertaking.
That is about the truth that this group is now a extremely essential a part of the infrastructure of London.
I soar off the bed each morning massively motivated by my job.
And naturally, it is beautiful for an incredible establishment like The Night Commonplace, who’ve been an unbelievable associate to The Felix Undertaking for a lot of, a few years.
A number of our volunteers I converse to, once I say, how did you discover out about The Felix Undertaking?
They typically say, I examine it in The Commonplace.
So I all the time really feel like we have this stunning sort of partnership with The Commonplace, the place you’ve got actually helped us develop and have impacts.
So there’s something beautiful about The Commonplace, recognising the work of The Felix Undertaking and all that we do.
And it is in fact motivating for us all to have that work recognised.
So a large thanks to The Commonplace.
It is actually humbling and beautiful that you’ve got been with us on this journey.
Again to you and your profession.
Have you ever confronted any challenges that you simply really feel have helped you in the long term?
I all the time say to my staff that I would love to do one thing day by day that offers me a sweaty palm second.
I wish to be scared and a bit challenged day by day by doing one thing exterior my consolation zone.
And I believe that is the way you develop.
And failure and all of these issues is how we get higher.
I all the time try to say to my children in addition to my colleagues, like, do not be afraid of failure.
And should you’re not failing, it means you are not attempting.
It means you are not attempting new issues.
It means you are not innovating.
And goodness, I’ve learnt probably the most from failure.
And in all types of various roles, the place issues have not gone fairly how I needed it to, my colleague and I discuss full profit.
How do you get the total profit out of any state of affairs you are in?
And even when it has been a extremely, actually garbage day, on the finish of the day, should you can sort of look within the mirror and say, have I acquired the total profit out of today, which suggests have I taken each ounce of the educational out of the day?
Then I believe that is a great day, even when it has been a troublesome day.
Now, you meet lots of people in your line of labor.
Are there any examples that stick out in your thoughts of among the individuals that you’ve got helped by means of the years?
I all the time assume that we sort of should not body it that it is about how The Felix Undertaking has helped individuals as a result of we’re genuinely a partnership.
So all of these neighborhood organizations, and I will provide you with a few examples that we distribute meals to, with out them, then it is simply meals.
However what these neighborhood organizations do is that they use that surplus meals for superb social good.
So if, for instance, we’ll a trustful belief meals financial institution, the place we’re taking meals to them, however alongside the meals, they’re providing residents recommendation bureau recommendation to assist individuals out of poverty, or they’re providing employability expertise, or there is a well being employee there ensuring vaccines are being distributed, or individuals are having their blood strain checked.
You understand, alongside getting meals, which is in fact a vital factor, they’re getting the entire remainder of these issues which might be serving to them step out of that cycle of poverty, or no matter it’s that is led them to being there.
So, I do not assume we should always give it some thought as being a means that we’re serving to individuals.
I believe it is a means that we’re partnering with superb grassroots neighborhood organizations to do unbelievable social impacts.
And one which involves thoughts is that this superb chap referred to as Father Neil, who’s a vicar in East London, in Tower Hamlets, very near our depot in Tower Hamlets.
And I discuss to Father Neil most weeks.
He comes into the depot, or we simply take meals out to him.
And he all the time describes the influence that that meals has for, I believe it is about 200 households each week.
And he describes Thursday as the brand new Sunday at his church, as a result of Thursday is the day they provide out the Felix meals.
Nevertheless it’s additionally one of the impactful issues that he and his neighborhood have completed.
They have been working with The Felix Undertaking for a few years now.
And really, the tales that he comes and tells me each week in regards to the influence that the meals and the multibank merchandise are having for his parishioners.
What are your plans for the longer term with The Felix Undertaking?
Are you going to department out nationwide?
We’re actually targeted on London.
We all know that London completely wants us.
As I simply described, we nonetheless have an enormous variety of neighborhood organizations we’re not reaching but.
And many of the neighborhood organizations we distribute meals to are asking us for extra.
So we’re going to redouble our efforts.
We’re very a lot targeted on how we will work with the federal government to try to entry extra surplus meals in a way more systemic means.
We work hand in glove with the retailers and producers.
However as I mentioned, there’s a number of various things we may do with authorities that might actually make an enormous step change in how we entry surplus meals.
So an enormous push for us is pulling a few of these levers that we will pull working in authorities with a number of our different companions within the meals redistribution sector to essentially drive correct embedded systemic change round how we entry meals on this nation.
And we’re opening a extremely thrilling processing unit in South London firstly of subsequent yr the place we’ll be turning large seasonal gluts of surplus meals into issues like soups and sauces and all types of various issues, dehydrating issues, turning them into pesto and issues.
So we’re all the time innovating, we’re all the time attempting new issues, however that is going to be opening within the new yr as an thrilling new enterprise for The Felix Undertaking.
Can I simply ask yet one more query truly about you?
Once you have been rising up, have been there any traits you had that tie into now, or is your profession one thing you would not have imagined?
So I all the time credit score an enormous quantity of my drive to have social influence to my mum.
So I grew up in a single father or mother family with a mum who did not have a lot and he or she labored so extremely arduous to make it possible for me and my sister had decisions.
She all the time grew up probably not having decisions herself as a result of she grew up in actually powerful occasions.
And she or he all the time mentioned to us that if I do nothing else, I need to be sure to ladies have decisions and choices.
However alongside doing that, she additionally volunteered regionally and he or she would take us alongside.
Ever since I used to be a child, like I bear in mind going together with my mum when she was volunteering.
She did not have any selection however to take us along with her.
So I sort of grew up with the thought of service, that service was what you probably did, that being a part of a neighborhood and caring about that neighborhood and being a part of it.
Even when you did not have very a lot your self, you can all the time give your time.
And so I believe due to the function mannequin I had in my mum, who’s simply an incredible and decided girl.
Yeah, I all the time really feel actually fortunate that even when we grew up with what would not historically have been thought that we had a lot, truly we had quite a bit, we had quite a bit as a result of I had an excellent function mannequin who instructed me that serving to different individuals is definitely the key to happiness.
And it is utterly true.
To view the total record, head to straightforward.co.uk or choose up this week’s paper.
This podcast is again tomorrow at 4pm.