Toolkit: hot meal provision for groups

You may need funding to support the costs of running your project.

This toolkit includes some databases and ongoing funding pots. Many will have eligibility requirements.

We've also included some suggestions for food sources.

Funding and fund-finding sources include:

• Buckinghamshire Funding Search – a database of local and national funding opportunities
• Community board funding – this may be available from your local community board. You can discuss your potential project with your local Community Board Manager
• My Funding Central – a funding finder for small organisations with an annual income of less than £1 million (free to those with an annual income of less than £30,000)
• Charity Excellence – a free fund-finding service
• Grants Online – a paid fund-finding service

Where you source your food from will depend on the amount of produce you can use and the sources local to you.

Larger-scale food sources:

• FareShare Community Food Membership – a regular supply of surplus food that's intercepted at the source before reaching a retailer. There is a fee to cover operational costs (depending on region)
• FareShare Go – a free app that provides direct access to surplus food from supermarkets
• Neighbourly – a free service that lets you collect surplus directly from partner supermarkets

Smaller-scale food sources:

• Lidl Waste Not boxes – pick up a 5kg box of fruit and veg for £1.50
• Company Shop – membership-based shops with highly discounted prices (paid)
• Olio – share food with neighbours and others in your local area (free)
• Too Good To Go – rescue food from shops and restaurants (paid)

You can also:

• contact other local groups or schemes to share resources
• contact local food businesses to ask if they can donate surplus