It's a wrap! Christmas Project 2024

More than 1,000 hampers, 800 toys, and 648 bags of vegetables distributed and over £5,000 raised to support those in need across Cambridge ahead of Christmas in a partnership project between Cambridge Sustainable Food, Cambridge City Foodbank and Cambridge City Council to help ease the plight of those suffering from poverty and food insecurity.

The hampers went out via the Foodbank’s partner agencies to those in need and included essential food and hygiene items donated through its 10th annual appeal, alongside games and toys from the City Council’s toy drive.

Last year saw 800 hampers distributed, and the increase in demand to over 1,000 this time around reflects how the Foodbank recorded its biggest increase in need over the course of 2024. Over the past 12 months, Cambridge City Foodbank issued almost 17,500 food parcels, up 18 per cent on the previous year.

Volunteers from PEM and Alex Vardill (CSF) with Christmas hampers, toys, and vegetables

CEO Steve Clay said: “It is no secret that this year has been the toughest yet, for both our visitors and our charity. Despite this, the support we have received from the Cambridge community for our appeal has been inspiring and I can’t thank everyone who donated a Christmas hamper enough. Your support may be the only gift some people get this year, and it is going to make such a positive difference to the lives of so many at a difficult time.”

Meanwhile, Cambridge Sustainable Food (CSF) partnered with local growers and suppliers to collect and pack up fresh fruit and vegetables for distribution to help ensure no family in the city went hungry this festive season.  The deputy mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds, joined CSF volunteers on Wednesday 18th December to help with the packing.

Deputy Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Dinah Pounds, with Claire Ives and Alex Vardill (CSF) and volunteers from Savills packing bags of fruit and vegetables at Cambridge Business Park on 18th December 2024

Sam Dyer, Cambridge Sustainable Food CEO, said: "The joy of Christmas shouldn’t come with the burden of choosing between food and bills, but sadly this is the reality for many people in our city.” She said the community had shown “overwhelming generosity” in donating items for both the veg boxes and hampers and added that “every hamper delivers more than just food; it spreads kindness, joy and nourishment.”

Alex Vardill (CSF) with Josh from Richmond Farms, receiving a generous donation of 900kg seasonal vegetables from Nationwide Produce

The veg bags were put together this year in partnership with local Co-op and Tesco stores, which subsidised the purchase of fresh produce, and with generous donations from local growers and wholesalers including Nationwide Produce, NIAB, Kale & Damson, and the gleaners at Still Good Food, who collect produce from farmers that would otherwise go to waste.

Teams of staff from Illumina, PEM and Savills have taken time out of their working week to pack bags ready for volunteers from Cambridge Sustainable Food to deliver all across the city.

Volunteers from CSF and Illumina on the first day of veg bag distribution at Cambridge Business Park

Some 67% of visitors to a local food hub say they would not be able to feed themselves or their households without its support. A survey showed 82 per cent said the hub helped improve their mental and physical wellbeing, and 53 per cent said it helped them feel less isolated.

“Our winter appeal goes far beyond the hamper project,” says Alex Vardill, Cambridge Sustainable Food staff member and Christmas project lead. “Supplying hundreds of families with the provisions for a joyful and nourishing Christmas is an incredible achievement, but it’s just one step on our ongoing journey to create a fairer local food system by tackling the root causes of food insecurity and empowering people to build stronger, more connected communities where food is a source of celebration instead of anxiety.”

Followers of our social media accounts have seen the CSF Christmas elf going behind the scenes to show how our staff and volunteers are working to create a better food system in Cambridge, from distributing surplus food to community projects to providing lunches and activities to children in the school holidays.

The CSF Christmas Elf with a car full of surplus food donations collected from local supermarkets by volunteers Pat and Rachel

The elf was also encouraging people to donate to CSF’s Winter Fundraising Appeal to provide essential resources for the Christmas Project and fund our ongoing work to expand services that the community has asked for, including nutrition advice and debt support.

Thanks to the generous support of donors we raised a total of £5,280 which will go directly towards building resilient local food systems to support people all year round.

Alex said: “Your support has a direct impact on families struggling to get by this winter and beyond, and every bit of support we can offer is a reminder that their community cares for them. Thank you for helping us spread joy and hope this Christmas!”