Sharing meals, creating connections

A kind-hearted nan calls for Birmingham residents to help provide community meals helping tackle hunger and loneliness - as charity FoodCycle launches appeals for summer volunteers

An award-winning Birmingham cook is appealing for people to help transform surplus food into free community meals, as charity FoodCycle urgently needs more volunteers across the Midlands this summer.

Nan-of-seven Marie Mardenborough (pictured), 60, has been a volunteer for almost five years at FoodCycle’s Birmingham Kingstanding community meal, served every Saturday lunchtime at the Birmingham Settlement. She’s channelled her love of cooking for a big family into a way of helping tackle hunger, loneliness and food waste, through providing nourishing three-course meals free to anyone who wants them.

Now community dining charity FoodCycle urgently needs more volunteers to help at projects across the Midlands this summer – including four meals open to the public in meals in Birmingham, at Falcon Lodge, Quinton, Longbridge and Kingstanding, as well as others in Worcester, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Dudley.

FoodCycle needs to fill 8,500+ volunteer slots nationally in July and August, when there is often a drop in volunteer numbers as regular helpers take holidays, students return home, and parents and grandparents need to look after children.

Last year FoodCycle projects across the Midlands served more than 25,000 community meals and saved over 53 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste.

Marie first volunteered for FoodCycle in 2021, and won FoodCycle’s Regional Volunteer of the Year award for the Midlands, presented in partnership with the Marsh Charitable Trust, in 2024. She was nominated by fellow FoodCycle volunteers and staff. One said: “Marie is a spectacular cook who also brings her Caribbean background into the meals she prepares, producing amazing flavours, alongside all the other cooks, the dishes are amazing.” Another wrote: “Her selfless contributions continue to inspire those around her, making a profound impact on the Kingstanding community.”

Now Marie is backing FoodCycle’s “Summer of Peas and Love” appeal to recruit more volunteers. Encouraging others to volunteer she said: “I volunteer because it boosts self-esteem, it creates a strong sense of purpose, and it reduces stress too. Volunteering helps me stay active and feel connected. I enjoy being part of something meaningful. I also enjoy helping fight food waste by cooking surplus that would go to landfill. We take food that would otherwise go in the bins, and then we think of a nice meal, and it comes out beautiful!”

Marie says she enjoys the creative challenge of inventing a three course menu using surplus food. She says: “I love cooking anyway, and I just wanted to do something different to get out in the community, and make a difference through offering my spare time to a good cause. There are so many people out there who are struggling, and FoodCycle makes a big difference in people's lives.”

Anyone over 18 can register to volunteer with FoodCycle – with roles including cooking, hosting, and delivering surplus food. No experience is needed and full training is provided.

Marie said of her first time volunteering with Foodcycle:“I used to be a bit shy, so I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and try and get involved with something different.

“I was absolutely amazed by what the volunteers had done with all that food that would have gone to waste. To see what you can get out of it - a three course meal, something hot, something hearty. It's really good!”

Knowing the meals are making a difference to guests keeps her coming each week. She said: “The impact on the guests is so important to me. When you're cooking and you come out of the kitchen, and you see how happy they are, that’s wonderful. They always say ‘oh, thank you so much, it's been a beautiful meal’. It’s great that they just want to come in, sit down, have a chat and have a meal.”

Knowing the meals are making a difference to guests keeps her coming each week. She said: “The impact on the guests is so important to me. When you're cooking and you come out of the kitchen, and you see how happy they are, that’s wonderful. They always say ‘oh, thank you so much, it's been a beautiful meal’. It’s great that they just want to come in, sit down, have a chat and have a meal.” She added: “I think we’re helping people by just sitting down and having a conversation. There are quite a few older people who come. They love to come in and get warm, and chat, and have a nice meal, and they leave happy, that they’ve got a nice full tummy.”

It comes as one in four UK adults report feeling lonely, while 7.5 million people are living in households experiencing food poverty.

A FoodCycle survey of more than 1,760 guests carried out last autumn found 67% can’t afford to buy the food they need, and 67% eat most meals alone.

The findings show how FoodCycle’s community meals model works to support people’s wellbeing, with 79% of guests feeling happier after attending; 73% feel less lonely and 75% eat more fruit and vegetables as a result.

Sharing a message for anyone thinking of signing up, Marie said: “I would say give it a try, and I think you you'll be amazed how you feel after the first session. That's why we keep coming back, because it gives you a sense of achievement, that you’ve done something and you’ve helped. You don’t need any experience, it’s really easy. We’re all like a family, and even if you’ve not done it before we can help you.”, and we can teach you.”

Teal Martin-Heaven, FoodCycle’s Regional Manager for the Midlands said:“Marie is a fabulous volunteer and we’re so grateful for all the amazing meals she’s helped create over the last five years! We have a few different roles people can get involved with at FoodCycle community meals - from cooking, to serving food and chatting with guests, or delivering surplus food to our projects. We’d love for anyone who is interested to sign up via our website.”

Nationally FoodCycle volunteers served more than 177,000 community meals last year, and saved 349 tonnes of surplus food from going to waste.

FoodCycle CEO Mark Game said: “Too many people are struggling to afford the food they need, and too many are experiencing loneliness. That’s why FoodCycle’s community meals are more important

Find out more about FoodCycle and their latest opportunities to volunteer.