Waste Not Want Not this Christmas

This Christmas, Lloyd's Charities Trust is making a three-year donation to Waste Not Want Not, a charity dedicated to both tackling waste and helping to distribute food and drink to those in need.

The money is funding a Waste Not Want Not van collecting unused sandwiches and other food items that would otherwise go to waste from shops located near the Lloyd's building. The van then delivers to various charities and shelters across London including hostels for the homeless - distributing the food safely and fairly to those in need.

Patrick Rarden, a City worker and Special Sergeant with the City of London Police, helped set up the charity in 2009 having seen first-hand the problems of homelessness within the Square Mile and the amount of food going to waste every day.

He said: "Waste Not Want Not Foundation are delighted to be working with and supported by Lloyd's Charities Trust to help tackle the problem of food waste in the city and deliver food that would otherwise go to waste to those who need it most.

"In the current difficult economic climate, it is really important for us in the City to help the disadvantaged in society and the Lloyd's sponsored sandwich collections are an excellent and very direct way of helping the needy."

He added that the donation would help ensure the pick-ups would go direct to hostels such as Veterans Aid, the Salvation Army Centres and Thames Reach to provide a "much needed meal at the end of every working day".

Waste Not Want Not has partnered with a number of City-based organisations to ensure the sandwiches reach those most in need, including EAT and Classic Foods, a professional logistics company that collects and distributes the food.

If you spot the Waste Not Want Not van - which now carries the Lloyd’s logo - help promote the cause by taking a snap and uploading it to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lloyds