Community groups benefit from FoodCloud partnership

According to the latest figures released, community and charity groups have benefited considerably as a result of the partnership between AIB and FoodCloud, with surplus food being redistributed through various local initiatives and support services across the county.

The latest efforts centre around the AIB FoodCloud Community Meals Programme which is helping more and more local groups to turn surplus food into nutritious, freshly prepared meals from rescued ingredients.

Since the overall partnership started back in 2018, over 8 million kilogrammes of food has been redistributed to support services in Dublin, which amounts to the equivalent of over 20 million meals.

The AIB Community Meals Programme is also being supported by FoodCloud Kitchen, which helps to prepare nutritious meals for local charities and support services that may have limited cooking capacity.

On top of adding to the traditional redistribution of surplus food, the programme has also proved to build stronger community connections, with local groups and family resource centres (FRCs) reporting that the provision of shared meals can increase the levels of engagement with their local support services.

Tallaght based FoodCloud’s overall impact is also reflected in its annual survey with a range of community partners including FRCs around Ireland.

The latest findings show clear benefits with over three quarters (77%) of respondents reporting that they are saving money on food costs by partnering with FoodCloud.

Iseult Ward, FoodCloud Co-Founder and CEO, says: “The AIB FoodCloud Community Meals Programme has demonstrated that beyond rescuing surplus food and reducing waste, there is the potential to bring people closer together through sharing food and resources.

‘We are incredibly grateful for the support of AIB and its network of volunteers across Ireland that has helped to positively impact local communities and climate action.”