Finance Score: 0

Governance Score: 9

Support Score: 18

Low unrestricted reserves: -2
Strong growth: +2

Good trustee age range: +3
Dynamic board: +3
Gender balanced board: +3

Large volunteer base +5
Award winner
Overall weighted support: +13

Overall GiG Score: 27

FOODCYCLE

Overview

FoodCycle's primary activity is providing nutritious meals for anyone who needs them but it also performs an extremely valuable role in combating loneliness, both through its community eating spaces and from their check-in and chat services.

Their very high reliance on volunteers helps to keep down overheads while their technology allows management to keep closely in touch with activity. They have ambitious plans to open more food outlets and reach over 100 in the next few years, that will be aided by their major corporate partnerships with UK food retailers

Source: Giving is Great

Mission:

Strengthening and nourishing communities by providing healthy meals from surplus food

Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

This charity has been very successful in attracting volunteers relative to its size
The charity has received backing from multiple prominent grant makers recently
This charity is a recent Award Winner
There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
There have been no material income shortfalls in recent years
The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

Over half the Board have joined recently

Financial issues to consider:

Unrestricted reserves appear to be dangerously low at the latest year end

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?

Sources of Income ?

Y/E		Income £k	Spending £k	Surplus/ Deficit £k	Fundraising Cost £k	Total Funds £k	Unrestricted Funds £k	Mths Rsrvs	Staff	Volun- teers
31/12/23		£2,760	£2,332	£429	£318	£1,617	£399	2.1	39	5,849
31/12/22		£1,854	£1,700	£154	£225	£1,188	£843	6	33	5,458
31/12/21		£1,262	£1,327	£-65	£194	£1,034	£952	8.6	25	3,600
31/12/20		£1,600	£948	£652	£125	£1,099	£819	10.4	19	4,600
31/12/19?		£970	£998	£-28	£156	£447	£383	4.6	14	4,000
31/08/18	*	£599	£627	£-28	£58	£375	£313	6	10	0
31/08/17		£617	£546	£71	£59	£403	£334	7.3	9	0
31/08/16		£694	£594	£100	£144	£332	£273	5.5	13	0
31/08/15		£584	£523	£61	£96	£232	£178	4.1	14	0
31/08/14		£469	£490	£-21	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/08/13		£492	£406	£86	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/08/12		£365	£345	£20	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/08/11		£213	£174	£38	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
31/08/10		£119	£71	£47	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Show more rows -->

Show financials table -->

Download accounts

Financial Ratios

Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 12%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 13.6%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 7%
Highest pay band: £70,000-£80,000
Liabilities/Assets: 8%
Liabilities/Income: 5%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 25%
Reserves/Spending: 2.1 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 8 months
Quick Ratio: 5.3

Asset Split ?

Balance Sheet History

Comment: Corporate donations have contributed substantially to their growth and the opening of their new food outlets across the UK. This includes several major food retailers that have given them the support they need in growth of delivery

Source: Giving is Great

Established: 15 years

www.foodcycle.org.uk

sophie@foodcycle.org.uk

02077292775

Charity Commission for England and Wales

Tweets

How you can help

What it does

Foodcycle support people who are hungry and lonely by serving tasty lunches and dinners each day in towns and cities across the country. Many guests struggle to afford the basics to eat and will eat alone without company or conversation so volunteers are able to serve surplus food cooked in spare kitchen space and keep them connected to the community

Listed activities

Economic/Community Development/Employment
Education/Training
Environment/Conservation/Heritage
General Charitable Purposes

GiG Classification

Community food services

How it operates

Provides advocacy/advice/information
Provides services

Where it operates

Throughout England,

Who it helps

The General Public/Mankind

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years

City Bridge Trust	£174,800
Dulverton Trust	£140,000
Rothschild Foundation	£120,000
DCMS	£79,109
The EQ Foundation	£66,000
Garfield Weston Foundation	£30,000

Specific Donations

Amount	When Months	To be used for
The Shears Foundation - FoodCycle
£5,750	08/07/2024 12	FoodCycle Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland
Dulverton Trust - Core funding outside London
£105,000	12/06/2024	Core funding outside London
The EQ Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£8,000	15/12/2023	Big Give Christmas Pledge
The Grocers' Charity - 2024 Grant Academy Awards - FoodCycle Marylebone
£1,000	29/11/2023	2023-2024 Academy Awards. Selected by Mossbourne and Kingsley Academies to receive a £500 grant each, totalling £1,000.
Essex Community Foundation - Food Cycle
£8,500	02/11/2023	to support the annual running costs of the FoodCycle hub in Clacton
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle
£2,186	21/10/2023	We support vulnerable people in the community by providing free, nutritious three-course meals made from surplus food which would otherwise go to waste.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle
£4,181	21/10/2023	FoodCycle will provide a free three-course meal packed full of fruit and vegetables for vulnerable people in Aylesbury every week, tackling food poverty and loneliness.
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£15,000	25/09/2023	Funding will support weekly community meals in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, tackling food poverty and loneliness for the next three years.
The Grocers' Charity - 2023 Grant - FoodCycle Marylebone
£2,000	28/04/2023	to support rising food and energy costs, to provide the local elderly community of Lisson Green and Church Street a free hot three-course meal, a safe, warm space to meet people, a food surplus bag with fresh bread and other essentials.
The EQ Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£18,000	15/04/2023 12	Unrestricted
The Shears Foundation - FoodCycle
£5,500	06/04/2023	FoodCycle Newcastle and Gateshead
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£5,000	01/03/2023	Cost of living supplementary grant
Dulverton Trust - Core funding 2023 (grant restricted to work outside of London)
£35,000	08/02/2023	Core funding 2023 (grant restricted to work outside of London)
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Food Cycle
£750	02/02/2023	to support a FoodCycle project in providing free hot meals to help tackle food poverty and loneliness
The EQ Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£5,000	14/12/2022 12	Big Give Pledge
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£3,000	01/12/2022	To ensure that the group's free weekly community meals, made using surplus food donations, continues to benefit Bristol residents in Easton and Barton Hill.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle Birmingham
£1,730	22/10/2022	We hope to help combat food poverty & loneliness in West Heath.
Quartet Community Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£5,000	20/10/2022	To support projects in Easton and Barton Hill over six months, providing free weekly community meals for local vulnerable people.
Devon Community Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£2,000	20/09/2022	Providing free three course meals to help address food poverty for the vulnerable of Exeter
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Food Cycle
£8,500	11/08/2022	to support the annual running costs of the FoodCycle hub in Clacton
Rothschild Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£100,000	08/07/2022	To support FoodCycle’s London Projects, providing community meals for local vulnerable people.
The EQ Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£15,000	15/03/2022	Unrestricted
City Bridge Trust - Grant to FoodCycle
£174,800	24/02/2022 36	£174,800 over three years (£58,400; £57,500; £58,900) towards a London Area Manager (0.8 FTE) and a London Regional Manager (0.2 FTE) as well as a contribution towards project costs.
Garfield Weston Foundation - Main Grants award
£30,000	11/02/2022	Building a National Network of Community Meal Projects
The Shears Foundation - FoodCycle
£5,000	26/01/2022	FoodCycle North East
The EQ Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£5,000	15/12/2021	Big Give Pledge
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle Liverpool
£2,224	23/10/2021	We would provide nutritious takeaway meals for vulnerable people every week until we are able to return to our usual community meals. We would also provide a phone befriending service.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle Longbridge
£2,452	23/10/2021	We would like to provide nutritious takeaway meals for vulnerable people every week until we are able to return to our usual community meals. We will also provide a befriending service.
Essex Community Foundation - Grant to Food Cycle
£8,707	14/05/2021	to help with the annual running costs of the Foodcycle hub in Clacton in response to the Covid19 pandemic
The EQ Foundation - Grant to Foodcycle
£15,000	15/03/2021	Unrestricted
Quartet Community Foundation - FoodCycle Bath
£4,874	08/12/2020	To support the Cook and Collect takeaway meal service providing food for vulnerable people affected by issues related to COVID-19.
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£79,109	23/07/2020	"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public ....more "The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."
CAF - Grant to FoodCycle
£8,500	09/06/2020 3	Grant to FoodCycle to support the organisation through COVID19
Westminster Foundation - Covid 19 response Fund
£4,832	08/04/2020 3	Food delivery service (Covid-19)
Essex Community Foundation - FoodCycle Clacton
£8,500	21/11/2019 11	To help with the annual running costs of the Food Cycle Hub in Clacton
Dulverton Trust - Establishing FoodCycle projects outside London ? Big Give Christmas Challenge 2019
£10,000	12/06/2019	Establishing FoodCycle projects outside London ? Big Give Christmas Challenge 2019
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle
£2,557	19/11/2018	We are moving to new premises as our place is too small and we need additional equipment in order to cater for larger numbers.
Dulverton Trust - Establishing FoodCycle projects outside London
£95,000	25/10/2018	Establishing FoodCycle projects outside London
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to FoodCycle
£150,000	12/09/2018 36	towards three years' running costs of a project that works from 25 hubs across the UK to provide healthy and nutritious meals to people in poverty using surplus food
Garfield Weston Foundation - Multi-Year Grant (3 Years) award
£75,000	03/07/2018 36	FoodCycle Goes Local
Essex Community Foundation - FoodCycle Clacton-on-Sea
£8,234	04/10/2017 11	To help with the annual running costs of the Food Cycle Hub in Clacton
City Bridge Trust - Grant to FoodCycle
£87,000	20/09/2017 24	£87,000 over two further and final years (£43,000; £44,000) for the salary of a f/t London Projects Manager and volunteer training costs.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle
£4,795	04/08/2017	FoodCycle Bristol provides friendship and support for hungry and isolated people by serving free, three-course, communal meals every week.
Co-Operative Group - Grant to FoodCycle
£4,414	04/08/2017	FoodCycle Bloomsbury will empower volunteers to create healthy, three-course, communal meals for those at risk of poverty and isolation.
Quartet Community Foundation - FoodCycle Bristol
£4,640	01/08/2017 11	To support the overall activities of Foodcycle Bristol providing meals for vulnerable individuals made by volunteers from surplus food stuffs.
Masonic Trust - Core funding
£5,000	01/06/2017	Collects surplus food from shops and restaurants to create meals for disadvantaged and isolated people.
Dulverton Trust - FoodCycle's Hub Programme outside of London
£30,000	10/06/2015	FoodCycle's Hub Programme outside of London
Tudor Trust - Grant to FoodCycle
£90,000	09/12/2014 36	over three years as continuation funding towards the core costs of an organisation that combines volunteers, surplus food and spare kitchen spaces to create meals for people affected by food poverty, UK wide
City Bridge Trust - Grant to FoodCycle
£122,200	25/09/2014 36	£122,200 over three years (£37,600; £38,900; £45,700) for expansion of FoodCycle’s work in London. The grant will contribute to the salaries of the Partnership & Social Franchise Manager, Head of Programmes, and the Youth & Community ....more £122,200 over three years (£37,600; £38,900; £45,700) for expansion of FoodCycle’s work in London. The grant will contribute to the salaries of the Partnership & Social Franchise Manager, Head of Programmes, and the Youth & Community Engagement Manager.
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Foodcycle
£75,000	13/03/2014 36	towards three years' core costs of a project that uses surplus food to provide healthy and nutritious meals to people in poverty in 14 locations across the UK
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to FoodCycle
£35,000	28/02/2013	The charity supports those that are long term unemployed in the Bromley by Bow area of Tower Hamlets. They are offering a volunteer and training programme that will help people find employment or enter into further training and education.
Nesta - AC00301
£119,075	11/02/2013	Innovation in Giving programme grant to FoodCycle Grant Ref AC00301
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Food Cycle
£5,000	26/06/2012	Towards a new income-generation scheme to create more food hubs across the UK.
National Lottery Community Fund - FoodCycle @ Crouch End
£10,000	29/04/2010 12	A project by this Haringey based group to provide volunteering opportunities and encourage people to become healthier. They will run a community cafe, using surplus food from local retailers, providing affordable nutritious meals to help address ....more A project by this Haringey based group to provide volunteering opportunities and encourage people to become healthier. They will run a community cafe, using surplus food from local retailers, providing affordable nutritious meals to help address food poverty. Volunteers will gain hands on training and practical experience in food safety and catering, passing their cooking skills and nutritional knowledge on to the wider community.

Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How do they operate?

Food Waste Redistribution Projects

Objectives: To nourish those in need within local communities

Intervention period: Ongoing to fit the need of Foodcycle guests

Location: Across the UK

Description: Foodcycle projects are located across the UK and are powered by volunteers serving nutritious vegetarian meals to people in the community at risk of food poverty and social isolation. At each project, volunteers are trained, supported and empowered to collect surplus food and cook it in community kitchen spaces to serve it to vulnerable adults and children. Foodcycle head office provides essential support throughout the year to these projects so they stay on track including the recruitment, induction and training of Project Leaders; liaising with national retailers' head offices to secure surplus food; managing a database of regular volunteers; supporting projects with

....more

Check-in and Chat Service

Objectives: To promote social inclusion and combat loneliness

Intervention period: Ongoing to fit the need of Foodcycle guests

Location: Across the UK

Description: Foodcycle's Check-in and Chat telephone service puts volunteers in contact with isolated guests to combat the isolation they might be feeling. Volunteers call guests weekly to check in, talk and give support

How effective are they?

	Outputs	Outcomes
Y/E	Local communities benefiting from FoodCycle services throughout the year	Meals created using surplus food	Tonnes of surplus food saved from going to waste
31/12/2023	83	563,945	239
31/12/2022	62	495,930	209
31/12/2021	47	455,000	191

See what you could achieve with a donation of: £

How do we calculate this?

Who works here?

SOPHIE TEBBETTS
Chief Executive
Appointed: January 2024

Sophie joined FoodCycle in 2016 seeing a perfect opportunity to utilise her two passions of food and working with people. Having held positions in the non for profit sector for over eleven years, both in the UK and internationally, Sophie is a specialist in the delivery of complex programme delivery

PETE MCCABE
Head of Programmes
Appointed: September 2023

Pete has over 20 years of experience in the third sector, working for various charities, including the Canal & River Trust and The Prince’s Trust. Pete has led high-performing operations teams, managed change projects, and possesses a wealth of experience in program delivery directly with communities and young people. Pete’s passion for food led him to take a year off to work for Chef Albert Roux OBE

VICTORIA MEIER
Head of Marketing
Appointed: July 2019

With an extensive background in raising funds for charities large and small, Victoria has a passion for the environment and sustainable food which she is delighted to bring to the fore in fundraising for FoodCycle. She began her career in international development, with roles at Oxfam and Practical Action. She then moved into the environment sector, working at WWF. From there it was a natural progression into the world of farm animal welfare and ....more

CARLY SHUTES
Head of Marketing
Appointed: January 2020

Carly found her passion for communications whilst studying at university and has since held marketing roles across a variety of sectors including travel and tourism, retail and the charity sector

MARYLYN MCQUAIDE
Head of Finance
Appointed: September 2023

Marylyn joined FoodCycle from HSBC Bank, following a 20 year career in financial services performing a variety of Finance roles as a qualified South African chartered accountant. Marylyn’s determination to join a values-led organisation with a positive societal and environmental impact led her to FoodCycle and the pivotal role FoodCycle plays in tackling food waste together with combatting hunger and loneliness

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)

Current Trustees appointed

Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 33-57

DAVID JOHN MCBEAN WEST Appointed: 2020 Occupation: Senior Finance Leader

David has held various senior finance roles in a wide range of industries. He is currently a Finance Director for a large data centre operator. He holds a degree in Economics from The University of Nottingham and an MBA from London Business Schoool. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

FRANCES LE GRYS Appointed: 2023

KALYANI GUPTA Appointed: 2021 Occupation: Policy Advisor

MARY JENNINGS Appointed: 2024 Occupation: Charity Worker

MATTHEW BUSHBY Appointed: 2022 Occupation: Marketing Director

NICK JOHNSON Appointed: 2023 Occupation: Business Owner

SAMANTHA DENNEY Appointed: 2023 Occupation: Finance Manager

Legal constitution

Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 22/02/2010, number: 1134423
Registered at Companies House on 10/12/2009, number: 07101349

Gift Aid

Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid

Policies in force

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

Filing Record

14 returns made; AR18: 17 days late,

Main office

Food Cycle
Food Exchange
New Covent Garden Market
LONDON
SW8 5EL

Objectives

THE OBJECTS OF THE CHARITY ARE:1 THE RELIEF OF POVERTY AND THE PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION OF GOOD NUTRITION, GOOD HEALTH AND SOCIAL IMPROVEMENT AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM SOCIAL, ECONOMIC OR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS;2 THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN RECLAMATION OF WASTE FOOD AND PREPARING HEALTHY FOOD;3 THE PROMOTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN HEALTH THROUGH PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ADVICE IN RELATION TO HEALTHY EATING AND NUTRITION;4 THE CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY THE PROMOTION OF REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE, USE OF RECYCLED FOOD PRODUCTS AND THE USE OF SURPLUS FOOD;5 SUCH OTHER OBJECTS, AS SHALL BE EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE BY THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES, AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL DECIDE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED. IN PRACTICE, LOCAL.

Data Sources

Watch Inspiring Videos

Save the upside down forest

Change the ending - the pain of Alzheimers

Help Dads in prison stay in touch with their children