According to The Food Foundation, in January 2024, 15% of UK households were experiencing food insecurity. That’s roughly eight million adults and three million children. To support our local community in a practical way, we spent the day volunteering for our charity of the year, The Trussell Trust, at Hackney Foodbank warehouse.

Hackney Foodbank is one of the busiest in the UK, providing emergency food for an average of 550 people per week in 2023—a staggering 55% increase from the previous year. The team is also dedicated to connecting people in crisis with essential services, including financial management, debt and housing advice and mental health support.

Team Ruder Finn spent one of their volunteer days wrapping over 100 individual toilet rolls and packing countless parcels with food and supplies, which typically containeds a three-day supply of non-perishable staples, such as carbs, protein and veg, as well as laundry detergent and toilet paper. Additional special supplies including baby food, nappies, pet food and toiletries were packed and supplied separately.
As the day went on, we became more efficient, working as a team to streamline each task and pack as many crates as possible. Whilst it was a humbling experience, it was also inspiring to see the passion of the foodbank team and efficiency of the operation. There was even a bit of healthy competition to see who could fill 14 family crates the fastest—all whilst singing along to a great noughties playlist (the warehouse team had some serious taste).

It was a day we’ll never forget. We left the warehouse feeling grateful and energised, with a much better understanding of the amazing work that the foodbank team do, not only to supply food to those who need it, but also in connecting people in crisis to other essential services.

You can support Hackney Foodbank by making a donation. Look out for further updates on how we are supporting The Trussell Trust this year.