Focused on ending food poverty in London.

Mission

Be Enriched was formed in 2013 by youth and community workers to support and benefit disenfranchised young people by providing them with volunteering opportunities around London, the UK, and Europe. Be Enriched has three community canteens based in South London which use surplus food donated by local retailers to deliver healthy meals to some of the most marginalized groups in society. Their community meals aim to strengthen community ties, as well as mitigating the effects of poverty, and reducing social isolation. They also provide training initiatives for young people and volunteers, developing both kitchen and social skills.

Why It Matters

London is one of the great cities of the world. For those of us fortunate enough to have access to all the rich opportunities afforded by this vibrant metropolis, it is a wonderful place to live. It is also one of the most unequal: a third of Inner London residents live below the poverty line.

One of the ways that inequality manifests is access to good, healthy food. Over 8m people in the UK live in food poverty, struggling to afford enough to eat. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this inequality, with 16% of the population experiencing some degree of food insecurity since the pandemic began. Foodbank usage, already high, has skyrocketed.

This problem existed long before COVID-19. It is not right that in one of the richest cities in the world, in one of the richest countries in the world, there are people struggling just to feed themselves and their families.

Be Enriched is one of many charities that aims to bridge this shameful gap. Along the way, they are also equipping young people with vital skills and a sense of purpose and community.