LIDL donate thousands of meals to Edinburgh community projects

In the last year Lidl has donated over 27 tonnes of surplus food to good causes in Edinburgh.

The food surplus distribution has supported 52 local community projects.

The UK wide programme called Feed it Back which is run in partnership with Neighbourly connects the stores with those who can use the food, such as community cafés and food banks.

Over 385,000 meals have been provided to organisations across Scotland such as Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre. The centre provides a safe space which develop positive relationships and promote wellbeing.

Mark Newbold, CSR Manager, Lidl UK, said: We’re seeing just how impactful the Feed it Back network is in connecting local communities with our stores and helping to build strong relationships. Through this network it’sgreat to know that we’re making the most of our surplus food by helping organisations such as Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre. We are extremely proud of our store teams’ efforts to date in Edinburgh and look forward to continuing to build these partnerships across the country.”

Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre, Bryony Muirhead, Café Manager: “Lidl’s Feed It Back initiative helps us to support those in need in our community through our weekly Community Soup sessions as well as providing an informal food bank in our foyer.

“It’s great to see the quality fruit, vegetables and baked goods we collect multiple times a week from our local store, being put to good use.

“Lidl also donate flowers, which can go a long way in brightening up someone’s day and make our café look lovely for the community.” 

Any charities and community projects that are interested in teaming up with a Lidl store can simply visit the Neighbourly website, call 0117 422 0855, or email lidl@neighbourly.com, to find out more about how to register. 

Lidl’s Feed It Back initiative represents the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce food waste across its supply chain, and forms part of the supermarket’s ambitious goal of cutting food waste by 25% per store by 2020.